Cold November Rain
by E-sama the Llama
Summary: [more 04/27] Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny." Ken falls in battle. Can Weiss survive the guilt and sorrow that follows? R. (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu) Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC.
1. Bullets and Bloodshed

Attention Fanfiction.net Friends:

Welcome to my latest Angst Epic, "Cold November Rain." It's a prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" but is such a huge departure from all my other Weiss Kreuz pieces here I wanted to say a few words about it before you began reading it. First, unlike most of my stories, this one is not completed in rough draft form yet. Ordinarily, I'd not make it public until it was completed if at all possible, but my Real Life Nightmares are too great and my muses are shutting down on me and not helping get this one finished, claiming they need support in the form of feedback. Hence, I'm going out on a limb and beginning to post this here as well as at selected mailing lists in the hopes folks will leave me uplifting comments to encourage Melpomene (my angst muse) and Erato (my lemon and romance muse) to come home and try again at getting this one done since it's supposed to be Book 1 of the new "Redirecting Destiny" series. 

If you enjoy the story, please leave me a note or two as it progresses, won't you? There's a total of 20 Parts for this on my ZIP drive and as long as there's a continuing flow of encouragement, I'll do my best to keep adding more to the tale as quickly as possible. Also, I'll be listing at the end of each part an indicator of which parts are being put up together so you'll know if you've read all of the latest posting run or not. I hope it helps take away some of the pain of hitting a major cliffhanger and then wondering if there's more yet or not!

Enjoy the Angst!!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who hopes people will add more than one comment if the mood strikes them as the story progresses, it's kinda fun to see what people *think* will happen and/or what they *want* to see happen as the various cliffhangers hit, ne?)

{oh, and by the way, one last "first" about this WK fic, it's the first one of mine that does *not* have lemon in it! gomenasai, but sex truly has no place in this story *however* this is part of a new story series which already contains lemony fun, so if you have a request for something citrusy that fits feel free to mention it in your comments! ~E~}

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Title: Cold November Rain [part 1/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 0400-0500 hours ++ 

*****

It was a dreary November night in Tokyo. The kind of drizzly, raw night where the wise stayed home and sipped hot tea, ate steaming bowls of noodles, and let the world outside their doors carry on without them. 

No one ever accused the men of Weiss of being wise, however.

The mission that gods-forsaken night had seemed to be a simple one at first. Break into yet another illegal drug production facility, locate all computer files that could be used to track down who had funded the latest stream of poison into the veins of Japan's bored middle class youth, copy them, and then destroy everything they had found.

As Omi sat inside the makeshift labs working feverishly on his laptop trying to download everything from a non-compatible system and running into problems he could never have predicted, he cursed silently and wished that he could've had his lover's expert help on the case. However, despite the fact that Yohji had discovered Nagi and him in the midst of an act of passion and had forced a full confession from them which allowed them to be open about their relationship with his teammates, there were very clear limits. The young couple continued to face off on the battlefield on a regular basis with all three of the elder members of Weiss doing their best to keep Schwarz from noticing when the youngest pair of assassins invariably vanished rather than fight one another. 

Aya hadn't been pleased with the new situation, saying it was too much like complicity for his tastes. But his two lovers had made it very clear he didn't have the authority to override them for a change, this was Omi's decision. Ken and Yohji were both backing the genki youth without doubt or question, they knew the power of true love and were pleased that the once lonely and sorrowful computer expert had someone special in his life.

This situation highlighted a key feature of their organization that remained a mystery to those outside their understandably limited group of most trusted friends. Who, exactly, was the "leader" of Weiss was a complex matter few understood or would've been able to accept, and not even Persia knew the full extent of the four young men's interdependence on one another. [1] 

Before an assignment from Kritiker was completed, the team's tactician was unquestionably in control of mission-related issues like strategy, pre-selection of weaponry, timing, and personnel. The demands of the position often interfered with Omi's schoolwork and it wasn't unusual to find him hacking information from yakuza files at the same time he was writing a paper on the history of Okinawa or something similar.

It was the eldest member of the team who was responsible for keeping the tools of their trade in good working order, often spending more time than he liked hunting down the unique chemicals and pharmaceuticals that the Weiss archer added to his various darts. From time to time, Yohji even went so far as to abscond with his scarlet-haired lover's infamous katana to see to it that it never lost its razor-sharp edge, visiting remote locations to have only the finest bladesmiths work on the treasured sword.

While Omi was busy planning their covert activities and Yohji keeping them stocked with weapons, Ken rose to the challenge of seeing to it that their everyday lives went on without any undue difficulties despite his hatred of grocery shopping, becoming a regular Hausfrau when the occasion demanded it. [2] His self-taught cooking skills were put to the test time and time again yet he very much preferred that task to the often disturbing issues that the laundry provided. Getting blood off leather was easy but the occasional pieces of human bone found in the lint trap of the drier often made the chocolate-eyed nineteen year old understandably nauseous. 

Meanwhile, Aya saw to it that the Koneko no Sumu Ie continued to function smoothly, insuring the four florist/assassins of Weiss an income since Kritiker never saw fit to compensate them sufficiently for their efforts. [3] However, once the team moved into position, if there was a possibility of battle erupting, the coolheaded swordsman took control, keeping close watch on not only his pair of lovers but the young archer as well. The violet-eyed man had already lost many that were dear to him during his life, he would do almost anything to protect the three men who had become his family from any and all threats but sometimes it just wasn't enough.

Their interconnected support system almost never failed. Sadly, the "exception that proved the rule" occurred on that November night even as the rain became heavier and the drizzle became a moderate downpour.

"Bombay," Aya growled into his headset, disturbed that the deadline for them escaping before the people they believed to have been hired to guard the facility might return, "We're running out of time."

"I know, I know!" The usually genki assassin snarled back, unaccustomed to having as much difficulty as he was at the time. Uncharacteristically, he cursed and complained in annoyance, "It's their goddamned Apple computers tripping me up! Shit, they make enough money off their stupid drugs, you'd think these idiots could afford a decent computer system!"

Ken snickered softly into his headset's microphone, then wandered away from his post by several meters, curious what a new noise was that had just disturbed the silence of their night. "I've got some kind of action over here by the backdoor," he spoke softly enough to remain undetected, yet loudly enough to be understood by his teammates. New players in their game were arriving and odds were good that they weren't going to be friendly.

"Shit, shit, shit!!" Omi cursed angrily and let his fingers fly across the keyboard in the vain hope of still accomplishing his task against all odds, he hated to fail but detested disappointing Persia and Manx even more.

"Stay calm, Bombay," the scarlet-haired man warned quietly, glancing to where he saw a frown of worry on the elder of his two lovers' faces at some distance across the room. He asked softly with more loving concern than he was willing to admit to, "What's the matter, Balinese?"

Yohji sighed deeply and shook his head, soft, shoulder-length blond locks floating freely around his face as he answered in a tone that spoke of a fear that haunted him whenever they faced the unknown this way, "It's Siberian, Abyssinian. He's moved out of my line of sight."

Aya growled low and dangerous in his throat, then spoke words he wasn't certain he believed even as one hand reached within his burgundy trench coat in search of his katana, "Don't worry about him now, Balinese. He can handle himself."

"I certainly hope so," Yohji answered, knowing full well that Aya was as worried about their occasionally unlucky lover as he was, yet the swordsman was unwilling to abandon his position guarding the boy who continued to type maniacally on his computer ten meters away.

"Bombay! Abort mission!" Ken suddenly screamed into his microphone. "Get out of there *now*!!"

"Why, Siberian?" Omi asked in confusion, "What's happened?!"

"Damn it, Bombay!" Yohji's stressed voice broke into their conversation as he ran towards Ken's last known position and heard a sound like firecrackers exploding crackling across the connection beneath his voice. "A dozen gang members burst in the back entrance and they're firing on us! We need to bolt!"

"Goddamn it!" The youngest member of Weiss swore angrily and began to shut down his laptop so he could withdraw from his location, silently praying there would be time for them all to make it out safely. "Abyssinian! Abort! Do you copy?"

"Roger that," Aya's angry voice responded as he thumbed the katana free of its scabbard and held it ready to defend both himself and the blue-eyed blond who had almost extracted himself from the computer link he had to the drug producers' system. "Balinese? Do you copy?"

"Roger! Siberian, are you clear?" Yohji worried about where one of the two men that he'd fallen in love with was at, but knew better than to try to seek Ken out at this point, bullets were flying past him too thickly to contest at the moment.

"They've spotted me, I'm outta here!" Ken's voice held an unfamiliar note of panic as he added, "Everyone, scatter! I can't hold them back!!"

The connection with the claw-wielding assassin's communication device fizzed and hissed in Weiss' headsets and suddenly the sound vanished all too completely.

"SIBERIAN?!?!" Yohji's voice cried out, frightened by what he'd heard and unable to see the younger of his two lovers past the hail of bullets that swarmed through the air.

"KEN!!!" Aya screamed as an unearthly cry tore the air asunder and the chocolate-eyed assassin went down in a hail of gunfire. No longer able to keep himself in place, he dashed towards the sounds of combat thinking himself ready for whatever he might face yet not being so at all.

"Fuck!!" Yohji cursed, drawing forth his wire before descending on the gang members like an avenging angel from hell, intent on dispensing justice for whatever had happened to his beloved brunette. His dark blue trench coat swirled around him like wings as he gracefully leapt and spun, delivering death easily as lithe glove-covered hands wrapped the metallic weapon around unprotected throats and powerful muscles drew it tight with a sickening slip and slide through flesh. 

Aya was close behind, razor-sharp blade singing in the air as it swept back and forth, easily picking off the offenders who still had breath in their bodies. He killed without remorse or rational thought after violet eyes took in the hideous sight of his younger lover's mangled body lying in a heap against a wall, blood flooding out of it as if from an obscene fountain. 

Amidst the cries of the dead and dying, Omi's agonized shout when he saw his injured teammate was easily drowned out yet his actions were not. Rushing to his dear friend's side, he cradled Ken's body against his own as best he could and did a quick check for life signs. 

Tearing recently acquired gloves from his hands and tossing them aside as unneeded, the blue-eyed boy wrapped his fingers across one tanned yet limp wrist and was terrified by the lack of a pulse. However, after noticing the sheer volume of blood spreading over his hand, he looked up and discovered at least part of the problem.

Above his grasp on the former soccer player's left arm, a bone of purest white jutted horribly forth from torn skin and leather, the compound fracture a mute testimony of the power of the bullet that had torn through Ken and drastically disrupted the flow of his life's blood. Scrambling mentally as well as physically, Omi quickly unsnapped the unusual suspenders that dangled from his waist originally placed there as holders for his longbow and arrows, but now to become impromptu tourniquets as he unclipped them from their joining ring in the back. [4] 

As he tightened one of the leather straps around Ken's upper arm, the blue-eyed youth became aware of a horrifying wet sucking noise and glanced at the nineteen year old's bullet ravaged chest to see a hole through his dark t-shirt that obviously led to a punctured lung. 

"Oh god!" Omi breathed softly, counting the bullet wounds in his friend's torso and coming up with at least three if not more, the blood transforming his usually handsome features and form into the stuff of nightmares. The unconscious man's right leg was also bleeding profusely from both front and back where a bullet had ripped through his thigh, barely avoiding the bone yet leaving once powerful muscles shredded like ground beef and required a suspender-turned-tourniquet of its own as well.

As Omi did his best to perform the tasks of a battlefield medic, Aya and Yohji were decimating the last of the gang members, leaving bloodied chunks of what had once been the sons and daughters of Tokyo's poorest neighborhoods to shed their blood unmourned. The two men were berserkers not hesitating and unstoppable for it was their own heart of hearts who lay dying behind them. [5]

Yanking the leather strap of the tourniquet on Ken's leg as tight as his now blood-slick hands could get it, Omi begged his silent friend quietly, "Please stay with me, Ken-kun! You've got to hold on! Aya-kun and Yohji-kun can't live without you! Oh please, you've got to live through this!"

The soft pleas, unfortunately, fell on literally deaf ears as the claw-wielding assassin slipped closer towards death's cold embrace.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Here we have the Llama's personal opinion on the whole "Aya vs Omi as leader" issue. I believe they are *both* leaders in their own right and as I thought about it, I decided to give Ken and Yohji more responsibilities, too.

[2] "Hausfrau" is German for "housewife" yet it often carries a stronger connotation than the term in English does making it more along the lines of "Mistress (or "Master" in Ken's case) of the House" and implies a level of control and responsibility commensurate with such a grandiose title.

[3] I will continue to use the Japanese name for the flowershop here and in the future since the series takes place in Tokyo and it only makes sense it would have a Japanese name which I translate roughly as "Kitten in the House". Further, the nickname "the Koneko" is used interchangeably with the full name and can simply be thought of as "the Kitten".

[4] Thanks again to the members of OmiML who long ago provided me with wonderful input on the genki one's assassin gear. Amazing what Melpomene thought to do with those suspenders, ne?

[5] The imagery for the massacre is based in large part on the astoundingly detailed renderings of Kentarou Miura as shown in the original manga, "Berserk", which is highly recommended if you can stand the gore and other scenes of graphic violence. It is also inspired by certain scenes in "Saving Private Ryan", one of the most disturbing yet accurate representations of war in modern cinema. Sgt. Rock was right, war truly *is* hell whether on a beach in France, on a fantasy field of the middle-ages, or the urban battlefield of any city of the twenty-first century.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 1 & 2 will be posted together. 


	2. Race Against Time

Title: Cold November Rain [part 2/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 0500-0530 hours ++ 

*****

Omi was desperately trying to find a way to care for Ken's sucking chest wound and other injuries without a first aid kit when the remaining members of Weiss rushed to the side of their fallen lover.

Yohji fell to his knees heedless of the blood that spattered up to help paint his dark blue trench coat a new, frightening color that was the combination of the lifeblood of the many souls he'd just dispatched to the great beyond as well as that of his first love. Emerald eyes filled with pain and guilt took in the shattered form and he asked urgently, "Is Ken still alive, Omi?! Do we have a chance to save him?"

Tear-washed cerulean eyes turned towards him and Omi spoke words he hated but were the truth, "I don't know if we can save him or not, Yohji-kun! He's lost so much blood already, and I did the best I could, but…" His words trailed off as he began to shake and tremble, the enormity of the events which had just occurred crashing over him like a tsunami rushing to the shore.

The scarlet-haired man, however, wasn't willing to waste time talking and had rapidly removed his burgundy trench coat before moving to wrap it around the broken, blood-covered body on the ground intending to gather Ken into his arms so they could get him to medical assistance. Seeing what Aya had in mind but realizing he was on the wrong side to have seen it, Omi reached out a gore-covered hand in warning and said, "Be careful, Aya-kun! The bone in his left arm is sticking out!"

Nodding understanding but not sparing the energy for words, the swordsman redirected his efforts and quickly had Ken firmly in his arms and he turned and sprinted towards Yohji's car parked 100 meters from the building they didn't have time to destroy. Their assignment would remain incomplete and technically a failure, but in truth, none of them cared.

Yohji pulled Omi to his feet then turned to follow Aya's rapidly retreating form out of the building and into the pouring rain. The smaller boy was forced to scramble to try to keep his footing on the slippery, blood-washed flooring, finding it impossible to push the images of Ken's shattered body from his mind as he swept his laptop into one hand, carrying it away with him without conscious thought. 

As he ran after his three teammates, the youngest Weiss assassin choked on his sobs, drenched by the cold chill of the late autumn downpour that had built in intensity as if the heavens themselves were crying with him, mourning the impending loss of a much-loved friend.

*****

Approaching his car, Yohji pulled his keys out and dashed past his two lovers to unlock it and practically rip the back door off of its hinges so as to give Aya and Ken entry as quickly as possible.

No words were spoken as Aya climbed in, cradling Ken close as if the Weiss swordsman's protection alone could ward off the hand of death should it dare to approach to claim the life that hung in the balance. Omi arrived as Yohji was closing the driver's side door and he, too, jumped in without a word. Soon they were speeding down the inner city thoroughfares leaving behind a veritable slaughterhouse that would frighten and confound the homeless man who would enter it later in search of refuge from the cold November rain.

The metallic reek of blood filled their nostrils and the sound of it dripping steadily from the wounded man's body echoed in their ears. 

Jade green eyes were narrowed in concentration as the car flew through intersections regardless of the shade of the traffic lights that swung in the wind and rain above them. Yohji's ability to drive at rates of speed that were above and beyond that which most people could without losing control was key in this race against time. Calling for an ambulance would have only slowed them in getting Ken to a hospital, his wounds were far too serious for much assistance from typical emergency medical personnel and all three of them knew it.

Riding in the passenger side of the front seat of Yohji's roadster, Omi let tears fall freely down his face, unaware that he had tried to rub some of them away earlier leaving the fresh salty drops to paint lines of white across a crimson face. 

The tears of a blood-soaked angel went unnoticed in the wake of a mission gone terribly wrong until the driver asked gently with remorse for not asking sooner, "Omiitchi? Are you injured, bishounen?" 

Even as worried as he was about Ken, the eldest member of Weiss was shocked when he noticed for the first time that the usually genki youth was covered in blood to the extent that he wondered if some of it wasn't his young teammate's after all. 

Sniffling back tears as best he could, the seventeen year old answered with a shake of his head, "No, Yohji-kun, I--I--" He wanted desperately to claim to be all right, but in truth he was far from it as he stumbled over his words and the tears resumed full force as he moaned miserably then stated more firmly, "This is all my fault! I should've known we'd run into trouble on this mission! I should've known it seemed too easy before we got there."

Yohji seemed puzzled by this even as his car sailed through yet another red light and past a sign indicating that Tokyo General Hospital was only 2km ahead but before he could say anything to soothe the guilt stricken youth, an angry voice spoke up from the backseat. [1] 

"This is not the time to worry about *that*!" Aya insisted flatly, "Ken is dying and we need a plan to get him taken care of when we get to the emergency room. Omi, what's the plan?"

"P-plan?" Omi stuttered, confused by the unexpected demand and the fact that Aya had spoken for the first time since Ken had fallen in battle.

The scarlet-haired man snarled angrily, "The *plan*, Bombay! We need a strategy and we need it now. You've gotten us in and out of a thousand bad situations, do it again now!" His voice softened as he dropped his eyes to gaze on the ghost-white face of the man in his arms whose blood continued to bathe him. "Do it for Ken, Omi, please. He won't make it if I just go in there and make demands."

"Right," the youngest agreed with a firm nod of his rain-soaked blond hair, his quicksilver mind dashing into action without ever realizing that he had an opportunity to make up for his imagined failings as a tactician. Tenor voice clear and strong once more, he commanded, "Here's what we're going to do. Abyssinian, you'll carry Siberian in with Balinese running interference. Don't let *anyone* not even a security guard get in your way and just get to the triage area as quickly as possible. I'll be in charge of getting us as many physicians as we need and we'll see about getting him into an operating room immediately thereafter. The layout of this particular hospital includes two ORs immediately adjacent to the ER and unless there's been a car wreck near here, they shouldn't be in use at the moment."

Yohji nodded and turned the wheel of the car, driving along the security barriers towards the bright red cross that indicated the emergency entrance, he asked, "What else, Bombay? Records and all that shit?" 

"Let me handle it, Balinese," Omi asserted strongly. His mind continued to work out parameters and options since they ordinarily avoided the use of public medical facilities for situations like this, yet none of them were willing to add the time necessary to drive halfway across lower Tokyo to the closest Kritiker facility. With a slight frown as a police officer tried to stop the car before Yohji could pull up to the ambulance entry, he added, "You two stay with Siberian until he's on a table and has at least a unit or two of blood going into him, understand?" Not waiting for an answer, he leapt out of the car and back into the rain and yanked the armed man out of the way so that his orders could be followed, unafraid for his own personal safety even though he was interfering with a lawman.

Neither of the other two hesitated for a moment as Yohji cut the engine and practically flew from the driver's seat onto the pavement and yanked the back door open. Aya scrambled out, his gore-covered lover still wrapped in the bloodied burgundy trench coat clutched desperately in his arms as he followed the eldest member of Weiss into the hospital. 

Moving like the efficient fighting team that they were, Yohji cut an impressive swath through what had been a bored night staff never wavering in their efforts to follow Omi's commands to the letter. Nurses cried out in alarm as blood mixed with rainwater poured off of the three men's figures, leaving behind a trail of gruesome evidence of their night's work even as Yohji's trench coat flared around his legs as he strode forward purposefully. 

"Get out of the way!" Yohji shouted at an orderly who had inadvertently pushed an empty gurney into their path, striding forward to bodily press the offending piece of equipment to one side as Aya swept passed without a second glance.

Approaching the swinging double doors into the triage area that was guarded by two heavyset policemen, Yohji called out, "Open up! We're coming through!" 

"No you're not," one man answered with less authority than he wished, narrowed violet eyes piercing him with Aya's glare promising death and he knew it until he added questioningly, "Unless you've got prior authorization?" 

Ordinarily the hospital wasn't as heavily guarded as it was now, but a rash of assaults on medical personnel throughout the city had brought the police presence there and Yohji was grateful since it meant he'd have an easier time of it when he simply answered, "We're Kritiker operatives." 

No form of identification was required as the second man nodded and spoke up even as he hit the release on the doors, "I thought I recognized you. Go on, do what you've got to do. We'll go lock this place down if we need to. Are you being followed?" 

The stoic swordsman strode through the opening without speaking, his entire being focused on the life slipping away in his arms.

Yohji, however, took the time to answer, "No, we're not, but make sure you debrief the patients and staff who aren't cleared to deal with a situation related to Kritiker with some believable bullshit, we don't have time to cover our tracks."

"Understood," the officer agreed and drew his shoulder radio, contacting headquarters for assistance in what was to become a difficult case of disinformation knowing that it was unlikely that the three men he'd just encountered would ever be aware of the efforts put into protecting them. This certainly wasn't the first time that Weiss had used its unique position in the hierarchy of those who fought on the side of the angels to protect its own existence and secrecy, neither would it be its last. However, now that it was someone else's problem, Yohji wouldn't have to be distracted from his greater mission and this was why the apparatus to shield them had been put into place from the very beginning. 

Even as the elder three florist/assassins approached the triage area, they were rejoined by the youngest one who seemed to have gathered a small army of medical personnel through whatever method would work, Omi's powers of persuasion were incomparable.

"There they are!" Omi proclaimed and dragged an almost unwilling young woman forward and commanding, "He needs surgery. Get your team scrubbed and ready, Dr. Inoue." The physician forced herself to calm down and as she approached her patient, she motioned for Aya to let her take a look even as a pair of interns ran to prepare the operating room with greater alacrity than usual. [2] 

Remaining stonily silent, Aya allowed her to peel back a corner of the bloodied trench coat, the resulting look of horror on her face mute testimony to the fact that they hadn't underestimated the seriousness of the situation. Despite her wanting him to place the injured youth on a gurney, the scarlet-haired man refused to do so until he was escorted towards the operating room, leaving Omi in charge in his wake and Yohji amazed by what he was seeing before following him out of the room.

With continued authority, the tactician of Weiss turned to a middle-aged man and added authoritatively, "He's got type B blood, Dr. Yanagisawa. I'm type O negative. We can do a transfusion immediately." 

The physician regarded the boy who seemed far younger than seventeen with his rain soaked blond hair plastered to his head, huge cerulean eyes gazing back without hesitation or tolerance for delay before he nodded, "Very well. I take it that you've done this before?" He immediately motioned for a nurse to step forward to assist them as he helped Omi to quickly strip off his gory outer and inner jackets and then immediately checked both arms for a large enough vein intending to begin at once.

Omi nodded and remarked with an almost tired sigh, "Yes. As a universal donor, I can give blood to any of my teammates in an emergency and I have. So, let's get to it." [3] 

"All right," the older man nodded knowing instinctively that the boy was telling the truth, then led the way towards the operating room where people were already scrambling to assemble the equipment and personnel necessary to achieve the objective of preventing a senseless loss of life. 

Yohji and Aya stood close by as numerous medical professionals buzzed about readying Ken's inert form for surgery. Both men had expressions that were carefully blanked to the general public as Omi walked in, but the blue-eyed teen could read the worry and fear in both jade and amethyst eyes. Looking at them even as he stretched out on a gurney that had been rolled in for what threatened to be a rather more ambitious transfusion than most, Ken's need was too great to be cautious, Omi said quietly, "You can go now if you want to, Yohji-kun, Aya-kun. I'll be here until they anesthetize him."

"No," Aya finally spoke for the first time since they had left the confines of Yohji's car. Quiet fear was in his voice as he explained, "Ken's hurt because we failed to watch over him. We won't make that mistake again, will we, Yohji?"

"Absolutely not," the taller of the two stated even as the anesthesiologist approached them both with towels in the hopes that they would stop dripping blood-tainted water in what would soon be a predominantly sterile environment. With as firm a voice as he could manage without pleading outright, Yohji asked, "Is it possible for us to stay in here or must we leave?" 

The slender black man frowned slightly and shook his head, "I'm sorry, but you can't stay here. This is no place for non-medical personnel. There's a waiting room around the corner and we'll keep you updated as we go."

Both Yohji and Aya frowned, but this wasn't news to them, they'd just been too upset to think it through clearly before making a pointless request. 

Finally, the twenty-two year old nodded unhappily then looked at Omi with concern as what seemed to him to be one of the largest needles he'd ever seen for such a purpose being inserted into a suddenly small-looking arm. As the boy grimaced in unexpected pain, he asked as gently as the situation would allow, "Omiitchi? You gonna be okay in here without us?"

Omi looked up at him tiredly, ignoring the fluid leaving his body as his lifeblood rushed out on its journey to Ken carrying hope as it flowed into the other assassin's chalk-white right arm in a desperate attempt to replace what had been lost before it was too late. Other plastic IV bags were being attached to the wounded teen in various places and the cold sterility of it chilled both members of Weiss as the younger one answered, "I'll be fine, Yohji-kun. I'll join you and Aya-kun as soon as they get enough blood into Ken-kun that they don't need me anymore."

"Don't overdo it," Yohji warned softly, wisely fearing that Omi might not listen to the doctors when they said enough was enough, he was clearly so determined to save their friend that he'd try anything to accomplish the goal.

"Don't worry," Dr. Yanagisawa said as he checked both of his patients then smiled sympathetically at the worried young men and added, "I'll keep an eye on everything. Now go on and get cleaned up. Surgery will begin shortly and we need to see to it that our blood donor here is ready as well. I'll need to keep him here until the last possible moment most likely."

"Understood," Aya stated quietly, then turned to lead Yohji from the room, willing to let the experts take control and leaving the life of their lover in their capable hands. 

Outside the hospital, a water-logged dawn approached unnoticed and soon the night's tragic events would reach out to bring sorrow and fear to other unsuspecting victims as well.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] "Tokyo General Hospital" doesn't really exist to the best of my knowledge, but I didn't want to put Ken at the one used in the series for Aya-chan which is shown in Episode 2 and has a sign outside which reads "Magicbus Hospital".

[2] The names for the medical staff were all taken from the credits for the series as listed on the ADV "Dead Ringers" DVD and include: Editor, Kazuo Inoue; Character Design, Tetsuya Yanagisawa; Director, Kiyoshi Egami; Art Director, Waki Takeshi; and possibly others. I make no claims as to matching them by gender, age, or other features, this is, after all, merely an homage to people who will never even read this work of fanfiction yet deserve great thanks for creating the world of WK in the first place.

[3] Giving blood is an admirable thing, but this is in reference to something I noticed in the official info on the team. Basically, Omi (type O neg) can donate to all of the others yet can't receive blood from them. Ken (type B) and Aya (type A) can both donate to Yohji (type AB) and, sadly, Yohji can't donate to his teammates at all. Interesting, ne?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 1 & 2 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to Peabody and Sherman, the wonderful Dog and His Boy who were the only ones brave enough to leave feedback for the teaser at fanfiction.net! Danke, Weisshund, you made a discouraged fic writing Llama smile! Here's hoping there will be more reviews there when the fic starts to run, ne? 

Special PS for fanfiction.net friends only:

In case you'd like to see *your* name listed as a fic dedicatee or something else extra-special and cool, feel free to leave me some shiny new comments that will inspire my muses to get busy! I'm *very* easy to bribe and it doesn't cost you a penny, just a few minutes to say what you thought, okay? 

Be well and visit again soon, I *really* want to get this one done as long as there are readers who want it! 

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~ 

(who intends to check his comments on this one regularly and mentions that even though this is an unfinished fic, there are limits to special requests that can be honored for plot shifts before it ends. for example, it's a prequel for a fic wherein Ken is still suffering the ill-effects of being shot, therefore, the llama can't go back and "be nicer to Kenken" later, but, hey, at least the brunette gets to live, ne? on the other hand, it's book 1 of a series! hence, plenty of stuff can be considered for future books like the long-awaited first ever Schwarz-lemon ala' Enigma, ne? {winks at several Schwarz-loving friends and vanishes to get a touch of rest before trying to edit more for tomorrow if at all possible})

Parts 1 & 2 Posted: 24 January 2002.


	3. A Shattered Gift and a Sense of Dread

Title: Cold November Rain [part 3/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 0600-0620 hours ++

*****

Meanwhile, located somewhere in one of the more expensive neighborhoods of Tokyo, another group of assassins was greeting the day in its usual emotionally distant manner.

Crawford was brewing a pot of coffee and he noticed Nagi was quietly assembling a traditional Japanese breakfast for himself somewhat distractedly, the diminutive telekinetic actually using his powers far more than normal and wasting his strength unnecessarily. The American man frowned, annoyed that it would be an unthinkable breach for him to simply ask the fifteen year old boy what was wrong, yet being too worried by what he was seeing to ignore it entirely. 

But before the precog could say anything or even silently summon his telepathic lover to the scene in the hopes of answering the mystery, a vision hit him and he leaned against a counter, holding his head in one hand hating the headache that such things often brought with them. 

Nagi carefully set aside the steaming bowl of miso soup he'd just ladled into his favorite bowl, a gift from his lover that Omi had made for him in art class at school, so he could attend to the leader of Schwarz. Taking the brown-eyed man by the elbow, he guided him to the table, silently urged him to sit, then went in search of the aspirin he knew the precog would need, handing it to him and asking in an apathetic voice, "Are you all right, Crawford? A particularly intense vision, I take it?"

The pale youth didn't actually dislike the raven-haired man who gave him his orders as an Estet operative, but Nagi felt he couldn't allow him to see past the cool mask he wore as "Prodigy", the Schwarz tactician and resident computer expert. Despite the fact that it had been Crawford who had rescued him from the dark life of a Tokyo street-child, the midnight blue-eyed boy knew he couldn't trust the man to put his best interests ahead of those of their employers and he kept his distance emotionally because of it. 

His other two teammates, however, saw a different side of him quite regularly. 

The redheaded German telepath often teased him mercilessly yet they had a fairly brotherly relationship. Schuldich had proven himself time and time again as the boy's defender and protector against all comers including his own paramour. If Omi and Nagi had been more aware of the man's dedication to the Japanese telekinetic, they might not have feared discovery of their relationship as badly as they did. For now, though, whenever something was bothering Nagi that he couldn't discuss with his beloved Weiss assassin, Schuldich was the person he turned to for help and it warmed the German's heart to be trusted that way. Of course, Nagi was unaware that Schuldich assisted Crawford with understanding the complex youth by acting as an intercessor for both at times and their team was stronger because of it.

The amber-eyed Irishman was another case altogether, one that baffled Nagi yet there was a strong bond of friendship and brotherly love there, too. 

When Farfarello was at his most lucid, the pair would often enjoy pleasant thought-provoking conversations and the occasional unpredictable journey to various museums or other typically "non-Farf" destinations as Schuldich had called them once. Most of the time, though, the pair would watch TV together or share cooking duty in the Schwarz kitchen making as much of a mess as one might expect but having a lot of fun doing it just the same. Unfortunately, there were also the days that reality was too difficult for Farfarello and he had to be forcibly restrained before being left locked in his specially equipped room in a straightjacket or other bindings. If he wasn't struggling and screaming too much at those times, Nagi would sit beside him and read to him, letting his calm voice help keep the demons at bay even if all he was reading aloud was his rather dry and boring textbooks while doing his homework.

At the moment, though, there were only the two of them in the kitchen that smelled of freshly steamed rice, miso soup, baked fish, and the brewing coffee.

Crawford gratefully swallowed the pain killers with some orange juice, then answered Nagi's question with a concerned tone in his voice, "It wasn't a precognitive vision per se, Naoe, more like a view of the present that I had no effect on." He shook his head, disliking these forms of visions since he couldn't affect them and all he could do was plan around it; he preferred to think of himself as being more powerful than that. The twenty-seven year old man continued, "It was as if this was something important yet beyond my abilities to change."

"Want to tell me about it?" Nagi offered, a sense of dread mixing with intrigue as he sat down at the table then sent an invisible tendril of force to carefully lift his treasured ceramic bowl and transport it through the air to him where he sat. As it serenely floated towards him, he reflected on how lovely the dish was, its stylized green ginkgo leaves dancing across a soft blue glaze always made him smile even when he felt sad or worried like he was at that moment.

Frowning and feeling annoyed that the images wouldn't leave his thoughts despite being hazy and uncertain, Crawford answered without thinking, "One of the Weiss kittens is in surgery or will be soon and it doesn't look like he'll make it."

A loud crash resounded through the small room as Nagi's soup bowl fell from the air, shattering the classical Japanese dish that Omi had labored over lovingly for so long, smashing it beyond recognition as its owner was overcome by horror.

Gasping with fear only once, Nagi tried desperately to control his heart rate as he felt his pulse race and blood pressure skyrocket as he asked unsteadily, "Which one?"

Distracted by his own headache and thoughts of annoyance with his psychic powers' tendency to tell him apparently useless things, Crawford initially missed the reaction he'd garnered in the sable-haired teen. He wrote off the strange tone in Nagi's voice as being reaction to his breakfast being ruined instead of something more important and he glanced at the mess on the floor and answered uncaringly, "I'm not sure, one of the two younger ones, I think. I saw Abyssinian and Balinese looking upset in what seemed to be a waiting room and there was something vague about the other two being in an operating room covered in blood and tubing, but what difference does it make? Are you going to clean that up or not?"

"What?" Nagi asked, shaking his thoughts free from the immediate terror he felt after hearing what the older man had seen and knowing better than to waste his breath to ask if Crawford was sure that his vision was correct, it always was no matter how painful the subject matter. 

"The soup and that broken dish, Prodigy," the American man complained with a slight look of disapproval that the boy was even more inattentive than usual. In a sarcastic tone he added humorlessly, "Or were you planning on having Farfarello take care of it since so many of those pieces look sharp?"

Nagi shook himself free of the temporary inability to move and dropped from his chair to his knees on the floor next to the remains of his precious gift, feeling even worse that he'd lost the treasure that might've been Omi's last gift to him. Not caring as a long shard sliced his thumb open, the telekinetic allowed blood to drip forth heedlessly even as he gathered up as much of the bowl as he could, intending to keep it if he could do so without being questioned. His heart ached and he felt an emptiness he hadn't experienced in years and he cursed his carelessness and his inability to suppress his understandable feelings of sorrow.

Now growing concerned by the boy's odd behavior, Crawford sent a silent plea to his lover for assistance, {{Schu? Can you come to the kitchen, please? Nagi's acting strangely and I don't know what to do.}}

A sleepy mental voice answered, {{Yeah, I can be there in a moment, Brad. What's going on?}} 

Puzzlement filled the older man's response and he admitted, {{I'm not sure. I had a vision, he asked about it, and when I told him, he seemed to lose his focus and broke a dish.}}

{{That doesn't sound so bad,}} Schuldich's mental frown was evident in his thoughts but so was worry for the youngest Schwarz assassin and he added quickly, {{I'm almost ready. Keep an eye on him for me and I'll be right there. Is Farf in there, too? It'd help to know what I'll be facing before I get there.}}

{{No,}} the American sent with a sense of relief. {{He's apparently still sleeping off the sedatives I had to give him last night. It'll be just the three of us.}}

The redhead nodded to himself in the mirror as he finished brushing his teeth and sent back, {{Sounds good. I'm on my way.}}

Crawford nodded absently to himself and went back to watching the telekinetic on his knees cleaning up the spilled soup with a dishtowel and suddenly realized that the boy wasn't using his powers to make the job easier the way he ordinarily would have. It seemed as if Nagi was so utterly distracted by something that he was unaware of his audience or his own actions and that sent an unpleasant burst of worry to the forefront of the precog's mind. If there was anything the leader of Schwarz truly hated, it was not being in control and that was certainly the case at this point, obviously. 

Striding into the room in his usual casual-yet-sexy morning attire of sweatpants slung low on narrow hips and a tight, white t-shirt, Schuldich regarded the scene before him with undisguised surprise as his piercing jade gaze caught a crucial detail that his lover had missed. Crouching beside Nagi, he placed a gentle hand onto the boy's back and asked, "Chibi? What's the matter?"

Ordinarily, the telekinetic would have immediately complained about the nickname he hated with a passion, but this time all that happened was that Nagi flinched as he was pulled forcibly back to reality and asked, "What do you mean, Schu? I, um, I'm just cleaning up the soup that spilled, that's all." 

Haunted deep blue eyes refused to do more than glance at the older man, yet the brief eye contact was all that was required for the redhead to have an excuse to reach out gently with his mind to ask, {{Why are you crying, Nagi? It's not like you to cry over something as simple as a mess in the kitchen.}}

Fear gripped the Japanese psychic and he double-checked that his mental barriers were in place and keeping the telepath from discerning the truth. When he was certain that none of his worries over Omi's safety had been exposed, he scrambled mentally for a valid excuse and found one as his thumb throbbed and brought his attention to itself. Relieved despite the fact that he was bleeding, Nagi lifted the injured flesh and commented almost believably, {{I cut my thumb, Schu, that's all. It hurts but isn't anything worth worrying over.}}

{{Then why do you simply reek of worry and fear, little one?}} Schuldich's mental tone was filled with the tenderness that he shared with the boy at times like when Nagi awoke screaming due to a nightmare or other horror that lingered, waiting for his reserves to be at their lowest points before striking. {{Please, Nagi, tell me what's wrong. Let me help.}}

A sad sigh left Nagi's throat and he shook his head, then rose to rinse out the dishtowel in the sink, then sent, {{I'm sorry, Schu, I really can't say. It's just that Crawford saw something that I wasn't expecting and it caught me off guard. There's nothing to do about it.}} After dropping the sodden towel into the draining rack by the sink, he said aloud, "If no one needs me, I've got to go get ready for school now."

"What about your breakfast?" Crawford asked with concern before he could halt the atypical show of fatherly worry from escaping. He was rewarded with a secretive yet loving smile from Schuldich who had turned to watch the interactions between the other two and found himself intrigued by the multiple levels of miscommunication on display there.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Nagi answered, then walked away, quietly closing his bedroom door before collapsing on his bed to hug his knees to his chest for a few minutes as he pondered what to do next.

Finally alone in the kitchen, Crawford turned to look at his green-eyed lover as the man poured coffee for them both and brought it to the table, sitting across from him and sipping the hot beverage experimentally. With as much patience as he could muster under the pounding of his headache, the American asked, "Well? Did you find out anything, Schu?"

The redhead shook his head yet his expression spoke of uncertainty as he answered, "Nothing specific, Brad. He mentioned you had a vision and then he refused to go into it. What did you tell him you saw?"

Scowling as he realized that perhaps the vision wasn't as random as he had preferred to believe at the start, Crawford said, "One of the Weiss team's in surgery and the prognosis isn't good."

"Shit," Schuldich looked surprised to hear this, Schwarz had never seriously attempted to kill any of the members of Weiss since Crawford's visions warned that all four of them needed to be alive for some critical situation in the future, yet it had to be more than that. He asked automatically, "Which one?"

The raven-haired man paused and then commented thoughtfully, "That's the first thing Nagi asked, too. I wonder why?"

"Why not?" The German asked with annoyance, "I think it's a perfectly reasonable thing to ask, don't you?"

"I guess so," Crawford remarked, shoving his diamond bright glasses back up the bridge of his nose then addressed the earlier question, "It had to have been either Bombay or Siberian. I saw both Abyssinian and Balinese sitting in some kind of waiting area obviously worried while the other two were in an operating room, but the details were hazy and incomplete."

"Hmm," Schuldich thought for a moment and sipped at his coffee processing impressions gained surreptitiously from Nagi's mind over the past few months and comparing them to what he'd seen and felt earlier while trying to deal with the distraught teenager. Coming to a conclusion, he explained, "Nagi seems to have some sort of connection with the youngest of the kittens. They always face off when he comes along on an assignment where we encounter them and possibly there is something to do with the fact that they are so much alike, almost the same height and maybe even the same age. Who knows? Maybe he identifies with him or something and to hear that *he* can be taken down and possibly face death on a cold table in some hospital somewhere made Nagi afraid it could happen to him, too."

Crawford nodded gratefully, this was logical and well thought out, just the kind of thing he had come to rely on his lover for when his own analysis of a situation failed. With a small smile of congratulations that the other Schwarz assassins rarely saw, he sent silently, {{Thanks, Schu, for helping me figure that out. I hope it's as simple as that but I guess we'll have to wait and see, won't we?}}

{{Yeah, I'm afraid so, Brad,}} Schuldich sent back allowing a note of concern to override his words as he added, {{However, I wouldn't assume that's everything. Unless I'm wrong, the dish he broke--and cut himself on, I might add--was one he told me was his favorite a couple weeks ago. When I asked him why he liked it so much, he got all cold and acted angry but I could've sworn I saw him blush a little. Why he'd be careless with something that important is what puzzles me.}}

Sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration, Crawford answered, {{I've got no idea. Keep track of things for me, won't you, Schu? I'm going to go grab a shower and see if I can get rid of this damned headache.}}

Schuldich purred mentally and pretended to sound seductive as he answered despite knowing the response before the question was asked, {{Oh? Is that an invitation for me to come take your mind off of it, baby?}}

Crawford chuckled obligingly and then shook his head before leaving the room, {{No, it is not and you know it. It's bad enough I now have a mystery on my hands, but I've got a meeting with a potential client in two hours. I hate it when days start like this.}}

Snickering at how predictable his partner could be, Schuldich rose and got another cup of coffee then sent the man an image of the two of them from their last tryst in the shower along with a silent promise to take care of things in Crawford's absence. The taller assassin didn't deign to dignify that with an answer and the redhead sat back down to enjoy a moment's peace, contemplating what might actually be the hidden truth behind the morning's strange events yet had no clue.

*****

To be continued.

Please be advised: Parts 3 & 4 will be posted together. 


	4. Horrifying Images Herald Darkness [conta...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 4/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 0710-0725 hours ++

*****

In his bedroom, Nagi lay curled in a fetal position on his bed, shivering slightly as he tried to regain control over the fear-laden images in his mind. 

Recollections of earlier battles against Weiss that had left Omi bloodied due to his own actions or those of his teammates were the things that haunted Nagi's worst dreams, but right now they were his waking nightmare. He'd seen his lover suffer greatly at the hands of those he himself adored as if they were family and it left him torn and confused as to how to rectify the contradictory aspects of his life. 

Matters had actually worsened for the Schwarz psychic when he had been welcomed with almost open arms by the members of Weiss, a group of men he had expected to want to tear him limb from limb for having "corrupted" their young friend. However, only the person he'd previously known as Abyssinian seemed truly adverse to his presence after the initial hostility that was to have been expected. Yet over time, the aloof redhead seemed to be coming to accept him, too, and now Nagi felt comfortable around them more than he had expected to. The only problem he still had with them was when Crawford tried to order him to hurt them and he had to find a way to outsmart the command without giving anything away about the true relationship he had with the members of Weiss. 

Now, a mere month after the strained morning of confessions following the incident when Balinese had caught Omi and him making love, Nagi knew he could walk into the flowershop where his lover lived and worked yet not receive a death threat for simply being there. The troubled fifteen year old wished he could go to the Koneko right now and hopefully get answers, but he'd need to leave to catch the subway soon for school. 

With a sigh, he decided to check his email one last time on the off-chance he'd find a message that would put his mind to rest even as he stuck a Band-Aid over the cut on his thumb, foregoing cleansing it properly and not caring.

Omi and Nagi were true children of the computer age and routinely emailed one another on and off all day long before settling into lengthy instant message chats during the nights neither had to be away from home due to their darkly dangerous secret lives. 

The sable-haired boy had known his boyfriend had a mission the night before, but Omi had assured him it would be a proverbial cakewalk and he expected to be home in time to send Nagi a quick note of reassurance before he went to bed and another before school. Upon arising, the worried telekinetic hadn't found any such messages and he'd triggered a search program to detect activity on Omi's accounts not knowing that at that time, the four members of Weiss were racing through Tokyo en route to the emergency room.

Settling into the chair in front of an impressive though jury-rigged computer system, Nagi allowed his fingers to fly across the keys to initiate a full connection to multiple online providers and at the same time queried the search program for information.

A small information box appeared on Nagi's screen that read: 

"Searches for the following screen names have failed to detect activity since 0400 hours this morning: Bombay, LittlestKitten, FreesiaFanatic, RobinofLocksley. Do you wish to have the searches maintained, Scherehände?" [1]

With a sad sigh, he typed in a confirmation while silently wishing that the last one, the most private account Omi maintained, had shown even a flicker of life recently. The first screen name was how Kritiker contacted him, the second was so his partners could reach him when they were on remote assignments, the third was for his casual friends, and the last was his alone, reserved for Nagi and protected by the most advanced encryption methods known. 

The miserable youth then opened his inbox wondering if there was any chance Omi had used someone else's account to send a message the way he had once when he was helping a classmate online and thought that sending a message from "I'mMarySueToYou" was funny. There was nothing new since before the disastrous breakfast incident and he felt defeated and sad as he closed the account. 

Turning on the small television set that he usually ignored, the boy with midnight blue eyes pulled on his usual gray school uniform and set about gathering his textbooks and putting them in his satchel. On the screen, a typically neat and attractive Asian woman was reading the morning weather report. He half-listened as she told the latest predictions for clearing later in the day and remarked that the worst of the rain had hit Tokyo during the early morning hours and wasn't it a good thing that was when most people are asleep?

"Like hell they are," Nagi snarled at the innocent remark, annoyed with his own lack of control that he had lashed out verbally instead of ignoring it as usual.

As if in response to his antagonism, the reporter went on with the next story, introducing it with words that were sure to grab virtually anyone's attention.

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a breaking news story." The woman swallowed nervously and cast a questioning glance at the man who had handed her the words that she was to read aloud, uncertain what she was being asked to face. Then she said as calmly as she could, "The following live report will contain graphic images and those of you with small children are urged to remove them from the viewing area prior to them showing on your screen. I turn the report over to the national broadcast team live at the scene."

The screen fizzled and turned snowy for a moment and Nagi turned his full attention toward the television a feeling of dread gathering in the pit of his stomach as he zipped the school uniform shirt closed.

Soon the image settled once more and there was a reporter already speaking with a haggard old man, someone who looked as if he'd seen the depths of hell and regretted being sent back to say anything about it to anyone. The reporter held the microphone where the toothless man could speak into it and he was saying, "All I wanted was a place to get out of the rain. I didn't want to disturb anyone or anything, but the door was wide open and it seemed warm inside, so I thought I'd just slip in, find a corner and sleep for a bit. Like I said, I wasn't trying to cause no trouble or nothing, and---"

The man's nearly incoherent ramblings were cut off by the reporter who reassured, "Yes, sir, we understand that the police are not intending on holding you responsible for what you found, so calm down. Please, sir, in your own words, what did you see when you entered the building?"

Gesturing at the nondescript brick façade behind him that was swarming with police officers, crime lab agents, and people whose jackets identified them as morgue employees, the man nodded then said, "It was worse than anything I ever saw during the war in the Pacific, I tell ya. Pieces of boys and girls all cut to ribbons and scattered across the floor like a damned American slasher movie! It was too hideous for words! Some of them had their guts all ripped out and strewn around like banners at a festival. Then there was this one boy, I swear, whoever killed him had something mighty personal against him, his body was on one side of the room and on the other was his---" 

"We understand," the reporter interrupted before the man could recount which exact body parts seemed to have been deliberately removed. Then he placed a hand to his earpiece, nodding and announcing, "We've got a live camera feed from inside the building now. As most of our affiliates should've already warned you, the following images will be *quite* graphic and viewer discretion is *very* strongly advised."

The image on the screen shifted and wobbled slightly and suddenly Nagi, experienced assassin though he was, felt violently ill.

A pale hand was clamped over the telekinetic's mouth as the camera panned over the mangled corpses of an uncertain number of people who had indeed been summarily dismembered with extreme prejudice. 

Blood was everywhere. 

The walls, floor, and even the ceiling in certain places had been painted in broad swathes of crimson with the occasional splotches of gray matter from an open skull or two. Decapitated heads lay scattered about like runaway soccer balls whereas arms and legs were often still attached to portions of torsos whose genders were occasionally indecipherable. Several lengthy portions had both an arm and a leg yet they also bore the slashing cut marks of a wire as sharp as a blade which had penetrated then in any number of places, rending fabric and flesh with equal alacrity. 

A bodiless hand lay beside a mound of flesh that had once been a young woman's torso as if to point to the deceased's shirt which bore the logo for the illegal drug company which she had come to so she could pick up a new supply to sell.

To someone like Nagi who had witnessed Weiss' abilities in the past, it was obvious that the damage done to the victims on the screen had been accomplished by Balinese's wire and Abyssinian's katana alone. There was no evidence of Siberian's five-bladed claw or Bombay's darts, crossbow bolts, or arrows having been use in the massacre. This observation only fueled the young telekinetic's fears caused by Crawford's vision.

Bile rose in the terrified teen's throat as the reporter found his voice and began describing the scene as he perceived it, saying, "There are no suspects as of yet in what can only be termed a horrific act of mass murder. The building looks like a charnel house. Grotesque remains of young men and women are scattered about carelessly as if their humanity meant nothing to whatever fiends committed this atrocity. The carnage is overwhelming and despite this reporter's previous fifteen years of experience covering crime reporting, this is easily the most sickening example of depravation he's ever witnessed."

There was some noise off to one side and the camera angle changed, the image shifting to a corner of a wall where there was so much blood on the walls and floor it seemed strange that there wasn't a body to go with it. However, to Nagi's ultimate horror, laying on the ground were two objects he'd never fail to recognize. 

Gloves. 

Omi's gloves, to be exact, covered in a thick coating of half-dried blood and discarded in a fashion Nagi knew the Weiss archer was unlikely to have chosen since they were a pair that the sable-haired youth had helped him select. In that moment, the telekinetic's mind cried out in despair and he collapsed to the floor where the tears returned full force before he simply shut down entirely, his mind protecting him with the gentle darkness of unconsciousness.

Schuldich was utterly shocked by the sudden psychic scream and he dashed from the kitchen to Nagi's room, throwing the door open without a second thought and rushing in, calling out, "Nagi?! What's happened?! NAGI!!" He heard the television ranting away about some news item or another and ignored it, focusing instead on the fallen teenager. 

{{BRAD!!}} The German shouted across the mental link he maintained with his lover, sending him a mental image of the unconscious youth on the floor of what could only be the youngest member of Schwarz's bedroom. {{Something's wrong with Nagi! Get in here!}}

The American man had been donning his favorite white Armani suit and green necktie when he received the summons and responded without question or doubt as to the need for immediate action. {{I'm on my way, Schu, hold on!}}

Swinging into the room within moments of being called, Crawford paused as he saw his lover carefully laying the petite Japanese psychic onto the bed before checking him for a pulse and frowning when it all seemed too normal. Reverting to speaking aloud, he asked, "What's going on, Schu? How did this happen?"

"I'm not sure," the redhead answered, disturbed that the usually emotionally tough boy seemed to have passed out because of something he saw or heard and not having any idea what could have caused such a strong reaction. Looking around the room for clues, he spotted the computer screen that was atypically blank, the ignored collection of school books, and the television whose screen now showed a map indicating a location where some fast-breaking news story was occurring. "He seems to be unconscious but I'll be damned if I know why. There's no sign of fever, illness, or injury other than what he did to himself earlier in the kitchen, so why would he just pass out like that?"

Growling his dislike of the situation, Crawford remarked, "I've got no idea. He's been acting strangely all morning, maybe there's something going on we don't know about."

"Agreed," Schuldich's patience was wearing thin when he finally said, "I wouldn't ordinarily do this, but damn it all, I need to know what happened to Nagi!"

"Do what?" Crawford asked, a sense of disquiet building within him and his instincts cried out that whatever the younger man had in mind, it was a bad idea and he should prevent it. 

"I'm going to go into his mind and *see* what the fuck did this to him," the telepath asserted angrily, "Maybe I can help from the inside more than I can like this."

"Wait!" Crawford raised a hand in warning as a vision struck him and sent him reeling before he could insist, "Absolutely do *not* do that, Schuldich! You mustn't interfere!"

"What the fuck do you mean, Bradley?" The shorter of the two sent him a glare that defied their usual closeness, he didn't like be countermanded when someone he held dear was in trouble and he thought he could help.

"There's no way to explain it, but I just saw him leaving us permanently if you do," the usually confident American was clearly disturbed by the vision as he added, "If you force the information from him, we will lose Prodigy and the future we've worked so hard to attain."

Schuldich cursed, "Shit. It figures." Running a hand though his bright red hair he asked with more calmness than before, "So, what do we do instead? Did you get an image of an option that *does* help instead?"

Crawford nodded slowly, it was only a fragment of an image and he didn't like it, but it held none of the eternal damnation the other possible future had held. In a voice older than his years, he answered, "We let him handle it himself, I'm afraid. The visions don't tell me everything, as you well know, but he's got to do whatever it is he needs to do and as long as we don't interfere, he'll come back to us later."

A chill of fear touched the German's spine as he asked in shock, "He'll 'come back later'? You mean he's going somewhere in *this* condition?!" He pointed to the unconscious youth with obvious skepticism and concern before adding, "Where the hell can he be going when he's wrecked like that? But if he *does* need to go, why can't we follow him? I want to get to the bottom of this. He's in trouble and needs our help!"

"No," Crawford insisted and then turned to lead his lover out of the room intending to let Nagi's destiny unfold in whatever pattern wouldn't deprive the other members of Schwarz of their very lives as his visions warned clearly would happen if they tried to stop it. "Not this time he doesn't. I sense that there's more to this than we're supposed to understand, but for now, just leave him be."

Growling his displeasure yet willing to follow his leader's orders for the moment, Schuldich carefully closed the door behind them, leaving Nagi's insensate form on the bed and wondering why life had to be complicated on such a cold, miserable November morning.

It would be several hours before fate pulled the Schwarz telekinetic back to awareness, yet when it did, there would be more fear and pain to cope with for not only Nagi but others as well.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Anyone care to guess at the meaning of Nagi's screen name? Explanation of on-line aliases will be given later.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 3 & 4 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to the wonderful folks who sent me feedback on Parts 1 & 2 including but not limited to: Yanagi-sen, bearilou, Persephone, Seiya-chan (and her sister!), Rubious, my darling kitten Ryoko, Alieu, Erin, Priscilla [at ff.net], Mr. Peabody [at ff.net], Siberian [at ff.net], and possibly others who sent it on-list which I missed due to lack of time to go hunting. 

Thanks everyone for the great support! 

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who wonders what the fanfiction.net readers think of the chapter titles he works so hard to come up with yet the ML readers hardly ever see. hmm, wonder if there's a way to work those in for them, too?)

Parts 3 & 4 Posted: 25 January 2002.


	5. Guilt and Blame Rip Weiss Apart

Attention Fanfiction.net Friends:

Let me thank you all so very much for the supportive response this story is getting! To have so many wonderful comments is truly awe-inspiring but better yet, it is *fic*-inspiring as well and my muses are considering buckling down again and getting to work on more of the rough draft of this one very soon! It still only runs through Part 20, but with the marvelous comments received here and from the ML's I'm sure it will get back on-track soon!

Also, please allow me to answer a few of questions/comments from the feedback this story is generating. First, I'm using what I believe to be a fairly novel relationship between Weiss, Kritiker, and the police and am fully aware that most fanfiction is based on Weiss being a vigilante group to the best of their knowledge. "Dare to be different but keep it logical", that's one of my mottoes! Second, Ken's eyes are indeed a bluish color in the anime, but like many other fanfiction writers, I prefer to use the manga coloration since brown fits him better both aesthetically and personality-wise. Last, as mentioned by several wonderful readers, no, I will *not* be killing Siberian as Silvi-chan feared (gomen, Silvi-chan, but your remark was so cute it finally hit me that this *does* sound like a classic Southpark line "You killed Kenny!" heheh!). Neither will I be allowing Schwarz in on Nagi's secret, but I'm having a helluva a time finding ways to keep it logical that Schu doesn't know already.

{smiles, hopeful that his muses will think of something good, then wonders if anyone wants another glimpse of Schwarz before too awfully long, then ends this note quickly}

Thanks as always to those of you who take the time to let me know what you think about this story! The notes help more than you know and as soon as I get some sleep over the weekend (explanation to follow later) I'll try to get more edited to pick up where Part 6 ends soon. 

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who has no clue why fanfiction.net isn't relisting the title of this fic under the "Just In: Weiss Kreuz" listings when it's gained entirely new parts for three nights in a row now, but hopes people will check back regularly since there *will* be more soon if at all possible!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 5/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 0800-0830 hours ++

*****

While life in the Schwarz penthouse took a turn for the worse, the situation at Tokyo General Hospital became more complicated.

Ken had been in surgery for several hours and Omi had been placed into a bed in the recovery ward immediately after the transfusion ended minutes before the first incision was made. As Yohji had feared, the transfer of blood from Bombay to Siberian had been more than what would ordinarily be deemed safe. However, it had become clear from the very beginning that the brunette's wounds would continue to leak vital fluid until they could be closed through surgical intervention and the hospital's supply of types B and O blood were too shallow to be trusted.

Thus, while volunteer donors were being screened by the hospital staff as quickly as possible, Omi had insisted that the connection between himself and Ken be held open despite his waning capability to sustain the loss of blood in his own veins. As a result, the cerulean-eyed boy rested fitfully under the watchful eye of several nurses with the occasional visit from the middle-aged doctor who had already explained the situation to the youth's two teammates.

Outside the surgical waiting room was a small designated smoking area and this was where the eldest members of Weiss had moved after being told at the three hour mark that it was too early to know the outcome of the procedures being performed on their lover.

Leaning against a wall and drawing a deep lungful of nicotine-laden smoke in gratefully, Yohji let his green eyes slide shut behind his sunglasses and he tried to focus exclusively on the acrid taste that danced on his tongue. His usual garments had been replaced by hospital scrubs and he made an odd image, as if he was a too-young physician casually wasting time with a carcinogenic substance that he ought to have known better than to be indulging in.

Across the small enclosure was a similarly dressed man, yet there was none of the false relaxation in Aya's tense stance as he glared cold violet death at the thick dirty clouds in the morning sky above. Without turning around, he asserted quietly, "This is all your fault you know, Kudou."

Sighing and shaking his head even as he sucked on the cigarette between his lips seeking more of the relaxing drug within it, Yohji didn't answer. 

They'd been having the same argument for the last hour or so, on and off, but the truth of it was that each blamed himself and by encouraging the other to accuse him, he felt even more justified in his belief in a bizarre mutually masochistic fashion. 

The Weiss swordsman, however, was interested in more verbal dueling and didn't appreciate being ignored, so he turned to face his lover and teammate before stating, "Omi was *my* responsibility and Ken was *yours*, Kudou. *Mine* got out of there in one piece, why didn't *yours*?!" 

Taking a hard drag on the nearly finished cigarette before flicking the butt away from him, the taller man turned to regard him with a venom-filled glance before he deliberately blew irritating smoke in Aya's face and answered, "I've got no fucking idea what makes you think you're so goddamned perfect all the time, Fujimiya! Ken's in there possibly *dying* because we *all* failed him and yet you dare to throw it in my face that Omi's fine?!" He snarled angrily, "Like hell the kid's 'fine' anyway! He's got one of those fucking hospital patient ID bands on his wrist, too, and is in there sleeping off his *own* blood loss and you give *me* a fuckin' lecture?!"

"That 'blood loss' is your fault, too, asshole," Aya growled, moving to grab Yohji's scrubs into one powerful hand and considering letting his fists speak his mind for him yet he put it into words instead, words snarled directly into Yohji's shocked face. "Why the hell didn't you make sure Ken stayed at his position or at least follow him when he went to check on that noise? If you had, he wouldn't have faced those bastards alone and he probably wouldn't have gotten shot *five* times, you fucking failure!"

Yohji visibly reeled under the violent explosion of words and before he could answer, Aya added in a tone as cold and cruel as he could make it, "The last time you failed a partner, someone *died* because of you. Is that what you want to have happen to Ken, too?"

Fury raged in green eyes and Yohji's mind was filled with memories of watching someone close to him dying in a hail of bullets and he roared as he slammed one powerful fist into Aya's abdomen. The punch brought the swordsman the flash of pain he felt he so richly deserved and in some small corner of his mind, he congratulated himself on succeeding at driving his elder lover to violence so easily. 

"Asshole!!" Yohji roared, temporarily lost to fury as memories of past mistakes rose up in his mind in response to Aya's harsh words. "What the hell makes you think you're any better than me, you cold bastard?! At least what I feel for Ken involves more than my *dick*!!" 

The wire-wielding assassin's words were more cruelly cutting than he himself knew. Aya had struggled with his feelings wanting to deny he'd truly fallen in love with both of his teammates since "love" was such a dangerous emotion. He preferred to claim that what was between them was purely physical so that if a situation such as the one they were currently trapped in should arise, it might not hurt as badly as it did. However, his delusions were crumbling and to hear it thrown in his face was more than he could stand. 

Without conscious thought, Aya's right fist lashed out, smashing Yohji across the jaw and sending him reeling back against the wall behind him and stars seemed to dance before his eyes for a moment before cocking his own fists and preparing to fight back.

Before the blond man could answer violence with violence, however, Omi's exhausted voice cried out behind them, "Aya-kun! Yohji-kun! What are you *doing*?!"

Bodies readied for battle, the two men spun to see the seemingly small and weak figure of their young friend standing beside that of a tall redheaded woman who gazed at them both with unconcealed anger in her blue-green eyes.

"Answer Omi's question," Manx demanded coldly, "Tell him what you two idiots think you are doing out here trying to bash each other's skulls in."

Dropping their hands to their sides, Aya and Yohji succeeded in looking guilty yet still justifiably angry as the elder of the two answered, "This doesn't concern you, Manx. It's about Ken and this is just between us."

"No, it's not," the woman insisted angrily and moved to place a restrictive hand on Omi's shoulder over his own atypical hospital attire, holding him back for fear that the other two men hadn't returned to their senses yet. With a glare of her own, she stated flatly, "This is a *team* matter and *not* one to be settled by brutish expressions of stupid machismo."

Aya's silence wasn't unexpected but Yohji's was and finally it was too much for Omi to stand and he asked in a soft voice, "Why are you hitting each other, Yohji-kun? Aya-kun? What are you trying to prove?"

"It's *his* fault," Aya glared, amethyst eyes flashing with fury at his lover as he finally spoke once more, "that Ken's in there right now. If he'd done his job properly, we'd be home safe and sound by now and none of this would've happened!"

"Bullshit," Manx stated flatly, taking the conversation away from the men entirely. "You of all people should know that not all parameters of a mission can be controlled, Abyssinian."

"You weren't there, Manx," the katana-wielding assassin growled, glancing at Yohji with a look that said the matter was far from closed, "*He* just let Siberian walk off into what turned into an ambush! If he'd followed him, at least he might've been there to defend Ken when he couldn't defend himself!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" The woman snarled angrily, "This is a dangerous line of work, you *all* know that! Any one of you is a target at all times when you're on a mission!"

"Of course we are," a too-quiet voice spoke up as Omi entered the guilt arena and stated his own point of view on the matter. "However, if this is anyone's fault, it's mine. I should've realized that we were going to run into trouble with their computer systems and have been ready for it."

"No, Omi, that's not true," Manx turned towards the agonized young man, hoping to offer him comfort despite not knowing the whole truth of the matter.

However, the seventeen year old shrugged her hand off of his shoulder as he stated more vehemently, "Yes it is, Manx! It's *my* job as tactician to see to it that we have *all* the details we need before going into a situation like that and I failed to identify what was easily the most important one." 

A quiet choking noise became an agonized sob as Omi hurried to condemn himself. Slender arms wrapped around the surgical scrubs he, too, had been given to wear in lieu of his bloodied assassin's gear as his thoughts ran wild and he exclaimed, "Now Ken-kun is in there fighting for his life! The building is still standing with all of the equipment the drug makers need to keep hurting people! And there's a stack of bodies that will implicate Yohji-kun and Aya-kun as murderers and it's all my fault!!" 

The guilt-ridden teenager's voice broke as the enormity of the failed mission crashed in on him and Omi suddenly turned from them and bolted, dashing away from the safety of his friends' presences as he vanished back inside the hospital, fleeing them as quickly as he could run.

"Omi! Come back!" Manx cried out, painted fingernails reaching towards the door before it even had a chance to close behind the blond youth.

Growling angrily at himself as well as at the universe in general, Yohji shouted, "Omiitchi! Wait up!" He then dashed after the younger assassin, fully intent on retrieving him before he could do himself too much harm, running in his currently weakened condition was more dangerous than Omi knew.

Aya simply cursed softly, "Fuck." Then he sighed sadly and shook his head as the female Kritiker agent glared at him expectantly and he explained, "I should have recalled sooner that he said he blamed himself for this in the car on the way here. Don't worry, Manx, Yohji will bring him back."

The woman snorted angrily, fed up with the stupidity of some of her best operatives then she turned to walk back inside intending to wait for an update from the surgical team and remarking acidly to the scarlet-haired man who followed her, "He damned well better, Abyssinian. I am *not* amused by the three of you acting like idiots while Siberian suffers. If you can't handle a difficult situation better than this, I'm frankly amazed that your team has survived as long as it has. What kind of a field-leader are you, anyway?"

Aya said nothing in return since he, too, was wondering the exact same thing.

*****

Running down corridors that smelled like disinfectant and worse, Yohji searched for his young teammate, occasionally calling out, "Omi? Where are you? Omi!" There was never any answer and eventually he came to a halt where two major corridors intersected and escalators pierced the building carrying passengers both up and down within the huge medical complex and leading to an almost limitless number of potential destinations for the runaway teen.

With a deep sense of frustration, the former detective begged someone who wasn't there to hear his words, "Don't do this to me, Omiitchi. Please don't make me go back and face them without you." 

An attractive young woman who was walking by carrying an armful of files paused to ask, "Excuse me? Did you say something, sir?"

Woebegone emerald eyes turned towards the woman who had assumed he was just one of the numerous attractive young interns who came though the hospital that she'd never have a shot at, and Yohji asked hopefully, "Have you seen a guy running through here, miss? He's a friend of mine and I've just *got* to find him! Blond, blue eyes, about so tall?" He held his hand up to a level somewhere below his collarbone and looked at her expectantly.

The auburn-haired woman shook her head sadly and answered, "No, I'm afraid not, sir." 

"Damn!" Yohji cursed and then turned to race off in search in another direction leaving the perplexed woman behind him. 

Shaking her head sadly again, she resumed her trek and commented to herself, "I wish he hadn't run off like that. I was going to suggest he get in touch with security and let *them* look for his friend for him." 

As Yohji dashed through different levels and areas of the hospital in a search foredoomed to failure, under a stairwell in a remote corner of the basement, a disturbed young man sank to the floor and wrapped trembling arms around his knees and rocked in place.

Quietly mumbled apologies left Omi's lips over and over yet went unheard over the noise of the equipment that sent heat throughout the large facility. He was lost in his own world of guilt and shame, until his exhaustion from reduced blood levels combined with the ill-advised flight from his friends caused him to sink into a troubled semi-consciousness.

The youngest member of Weiss would remain undisturbed for some time and his absence would only add to the tension between his teammates.

*****

To be continued.

Please be advised: Parts 5 & 6 will be posted together. 


	6. The Frightening Truth and a Reconciliati...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 6/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 0830-0955 hours ++

*****

When Yohji returned to the waiting room, he was surprised to find Aya and Manx talking with a doctor he hadn't seen before. Clearing his throat nervously and pushing his sunglasses up to the top of his head, the jade-eyed assassin stated quietly, "I'm back."

Aya and Manx turned their attention to him and they both frowned unhappily seeing that he was alone. 

"Where is he?" The woman asked without preamble.

"I lost him," Yohji answered apologetically, seeing no point in trying to conceal the truth.

"It figures," the swordsman growled softly, then added, "We'll deal with *that* in a moment, Kudou. This is Dr. Egami, he's the head of Ken's surgical team and is giving us a report on his condition."

"Oh?" Emerald eyes glimmered with interest and Yohji extended a hand to shake the older man's in greeting as he asked, "How is he?"

"Not good," the physician answered then summarized, "As I was telling your friends here, the patient is in critical condition and we're not even halfway through with the surgery yet. We've confirmed at least five bullet wounds, two of which the projectiles had clear entry and exit wounds which were fairly straightforward to treat. The other three, however, are still giving my team quite a run for their money which is where I was in my explanation already so allow me to resume unless you have any questions so far?"

Frowning slightly, Yohji shook his head and asked simply, "Did the tourniquets on the arm and leg wounds make much of a difference, doctor?" Seeing the looks of confusion on the others' faces he added with a sad expression, "I think it might help Omi to handle this better if we can at least tell him that his efforts made a difference before we even got here, you know?"

"Yes," Aya unexpectedly spoke up supportively, "I agree. Well? Did they, Dr. Egami?"

Nodding firmly, the man agreed, "Most assuredly so. I'm certain he would've bled to death without both of them, but let me please move on to other matters so that I can return to the OR. Things are far from over in there."

"Certainly, doctor," Manx said noting the looks of relief on the two Weiss assassin's faces now that they had at least a tiny bit of good news for their missing teammate. "And feel free to keep it short if you must, I'm sure that we'd all sooner see Ken getting the best care possible rather than you standing here talking to us."

"I understand," the Asian man smiled in return and then proceeded to debrief them on the condition of the youth who had been so brutally gunned down earlier that day. 

*****

After almost fifteen minutes of explanation, questions, and answers, Egami left the three shaken Kritiker agents who each found they needed a few minutes of silence to absorb the information they had been given. 

Fingering an unlit cigarette longingly, Yohji commented quietly, "I had no idea that someone could be trashed that badly and live."

"I know," Manx replied, shaking her head and pushing bright red hair over one shoulder and out of her way as she added, "But it could be worse, I guess. He could already be dead."

"He *did* die more than once already." Aya remarked darkly before looking up to gaze balefully at his lover and he snarled acidly, "After all, isn't *that* what he meant by saying Ken went into cardiac arrest on the table twice while they were repairing the punctured lung and the torn exocardial lining?"

An expression of infinite sadness overcame Yohji's elegant features and he nodded, refusing to enter into another round of blame and recrimination no matter how much Aya seemed to feel they both deserved it. With a deep sigh he answered, "Yeah, I guess so, but to know that they're in there right now, cutting what's left of one of his kidneys out and throwing it away is kind of freaking me out right now. I mean, I remember what Egami said about how Ken can survive with just the other one if it heals up all right, but still." He raised his head and peered at them both and asked, "Is it just me or does the idea that an athletic guy like him could be facing a lifetime of dialysis while he waits for a kidney donor bother you, too?"

"Of course it does, Yohji," Manx said with more gentleness than she had granted either of the men practically since her arrival after being awakened by Omi's predawn phone call. She reached out to place a warm and reassuring hand on the man's knee and she added, "But I'm more worried about the damage to his spine. The bullet that grazed his spinal column didn't sever it as it would have if it had been even a few millimeters closer, but as long as it's damaged at all, there's the possibility of paralysis that we can't overlook."

The two men seemed to sink in on themselves a little upon this worst case scenario being reiterated, then the scarlet-haired one seemed to come to a realization he didn't care for. With an angry scowl, Aya said quietly, "If Ken's going to be trapped in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, you do realize he'd rather be dead, don't you? He won't hesitate to finish the job later if that's how it turns out."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Yohji answered and looked up to see his lover's violet gaze aimed directly at him cold, calculating, and looking as if he'd been down this road before. The older man turned his head away and said quietly, "What do you want *me* to do about it, Aya? You know I'd undo it if I could, but it's too late and all we can do now is hope."

"Oh really?" The katana-wielding assassin asked sarcastically, "Are you so sure, Kudou? Why don't you think about it a little harder and see if there isn't *some* way for you to make up for your mistake after all?"

Yohji's patience snapped and in his anguish, he turned tortured jade green eyes on his lover and he spat, "Damn it all to hell, Fujimiya! Don't you think I'm already racking my brain for solutions here? Shit, if I could go back in time and take every last one of those bullets *for* him, I would, but unless you're H. G. Wells and you've got a time machine I can use, just get off my back and stop *judging* me!!" He surged to his feet and strode away, angry with Aya for questioning him, angry with himself for failing, and angry at the world for letting it all happen in the first place. 

Aya jumped to his own feet and intended to go after him, but was stopped cold by a strong feminine hand on his wrist and a commanding voice. "Let him go, Abyssinian."

"No!" Aya snarled and tried to wrench his arm free yet failed. Glaring down at the woman who remained in her chair, he demanded, "Release me, Manx! I'm going after that goddamned arrogant prick! He can't get away with this!" 

"Get away with *what*, Aya?" Manx asked in a cold voice, tired of trying to make the two anguished souls see reason. "What is it you think that Yohji's 'getting away with' anyway? He feels as guilty about all of this as you do if not more so. Now that Bombay's missing he blames himself for that, too, when in reality, neither of you are to blame."

The man glared down at her, yet stopped trying to pull away and she added more warmly, "Give him some time to cool down, Aya. Maybe Omi will come back soon and if he does, he's going to need both of you to support him while we wait to see how it goes for Ken."

Shoulders slumping slightly, the man nodded then asked, "What do we do if Omi doesn't come back on his own? He doesn't have a cell phone in those borrowed scrubs and our headsets from the mission are still in Yohji's car which was probably towed away anyway. There's no way to reach him."

Manx smirked ever so slightly then answered an unasked question, "Yes, Yohji's car *was* towed away, but it'll be back at the Koneko by tonight. I had a Kritiker undercover operative take care of it for you. It'll be decontaminated and all evidence of the killings erased by the time you see it again. As for Omi, I'd assume he'll either return here or go back to the flowershop. I don't know where else he might go under the circumstances."

Aya sighed deeply and agreed, "Neither do I, Manx. I'm not an optimist by nature, but I guess simply hoping for the best is all we can do, ne?"

"It seems that way to me," the woman answered then rose to leave the room in search of a more private location to report to Persia. She knew that she needed to tell the commander of Kritiker pointblank that his best team needed to be put on inactive duty indefinitely as well as potentially needing a replacement for one of its members should Siberian die as it appeared he might. It was a conversation Manx wasn't looking forward to having.

Alone in the waiting room, Aya allowed himself to slump down into an overstuffed chair and simply glare at the clock on the wall as he waited for the next scene in this soul-shattering drama to unfold. 

At the same time, outside in the chill November air, Yohji gave in to a bad habit from his past and simply smoked mindlessly, long fingers pulling a new cigarette from the pack at random intervals as the sun slowly tried to reclaim its spot in the sky and failed.

*****

More than an hour passed by as Ken's surgery progressed and it seemed as if the world was too busy waiting for that to be completed to do much of anything else. 

Even though he had become chilled to the bone standing in the unprotected smoking area and making his way through the better part of a pack of cigarettes, Yohji was still startled when he heard a familiar voice ask, "Mind if I join you, Yohji?"

Turning to give his lover a glance that carried with it all of the older man's fears and insecurities, Yohji finally simply shrugged and said in a tobacco-roughened voice, "Sure, why not, Aya?" He sighed deeply and tossed away the butt of his last smoke, a pathetic thing consisting of several centimeters of ash clinging to a filter since he'd forgotten he was holding it as it burned.

Aya moved to lean against the wall beside his elder lover and then sighed deeply before saying, "There's nothing new on Ken and we still haven't heard from Omi. Manx called the flowershop, but Momoe hasn't seen him." [1] He took a deep breath and did something he hated, admit that he was wrong. "We're going nowhere fast here, Yohji, and arguing between us isn't helping."

"That's true," the blond man admitted then shook the pack of cigarettes peering into it to see how many were left. As he dug one out, he asked in a soul-weary voice, "So, what do we do about it now? We can't do anything for Ken at the moment, but there's gotta be something we can do about Omiitchi before he hurts himself."

A pale hand reached over and unexpectedly relieved Yohji of his package of cigarettes, then Aya shook one free and brought it to his lips before leaning over to silently ask for a light as the taller man flicked his lighter on for himself. Startled but not shocked, the emerald-eyed man granted the request, noting that if his scarlet-haired lover was indulging his exceedingly rare desire for nicotine, he was truly disturbed by the current situation.

Dragging in a long puff of smoke and then coughing slightly due to inexperience, the shorter of the two men asked thoughtfully, "Who would Omi turn to when he's upset other than us or Manx? Persia, maybe, but he'd have let us know about it, so, who else?"

Yohji shrugged slightly, then stopped dead in the act of adjusting his sunglasses and exclaimed, "That's it! I know who he'd go to if he could, but since he can't, he'd use email!" His disjointed words made no sense to his companion, but it didn't stop him from adding a command to action. "Come on, let's go!" He grabbed the cigarette from his own lips and tossed it aside before doing the same to Aya's and bodily dragging the man back inside the building.

As they dashed through the waiting room which was empty since Manx had gone off to get coffee in the hopes of luring Yohji back inside, Aya tugged his arm free of Yohji's hand and followed willingly commenting in a guilty tone, "Of course! *Nagi*! But how do we reach him?"

Chortling to himself and feeling much more in control of the situation than he had since the moment gunfire had erupted before dawn, the older man answered, "I've got a mind like a pointless steeltrap for some shit, Aya. I was bugging Omiitchi after school one day when he got IMed by the kid and I made a mental note of the alias he uses. All we need is a computer terminal and we're good to go!"

Shaking his head and sending scarlet earlocks dancing across the front of his scrubs, Aya remarked, "Yohji, you never fail to amaze me at the strangest moments." As they approached a public access computer terminal set amidst a row of coin-operated telephones, he asked, "Are you sure we'll be able to reach him on that account? What if it's blocked to anyone but Omi?"

Yohji snorted angrily and yanked out his wallet, grabbing the first credit card he saw and shoving it into the payment slot that activated the machine, bringing it on-line rapidly and signing in under his own private screen name and growling softly, "Hell, I never even thought of that. Well, let's give it a shot and see what happens, okay?"

Aya shrugged then agreed, "It can't hurt." As the connection went through, he added more softly in a voice that promised violence to anyone who would dare to harm those he cared for, "And if we can't reach the kid this way, I think it just might be high time one of us pays a visit to that penthouse Schwarz thinks we don't know about. If Omi isn't here with us or at home at the Koneko, he might've been confused enough to go there and who knows *what* amount of hell he could be in by now if those bastards Nagi lives with get their hands on him."

Nodding, the wire-wielding assassin growled in return, "Yeah, I'd like to think that his boyfriend can protect him better than that, but *we've* let him down already so I'm not assuming anyone else can handle it better at this point." Entering the strange screen name he recalled seeing on Omi's computer, Yohji found himself praying to a god he didn't believe in that this strategy would work and he held his breath and waited.

Halfway across the city, a computerized chime rang out and tried to rouse an unconscious boy then patiently began a timed sequence of reminder rings as per Nagi's customized communication program. 

Unfortunately, a single chime wasn't enough to do the job, and it would be several nerve-wracking minutes before the two anxious Weiss assassins would discover if they would even get a response from the only person who could've found their missing teammate. And as they waited, somewhere deep in the bowels of the hospital, a previously occupied hiding spot beneath a stairwell suddenly became vacant as Omi acted on a rash decision of his own. 

An agonized young man dressed in surgical scrubs hurried away from the house of healing, vanishing into the press of humanity that Tokyo became during midday without a destination in mind and nothing but guilt and shame in his heart. Pointless self-hatred transformed into mindless action and the cerulean-eyed teen was more lost than he had ever been before in his life, deliberately leaving behind those who cared for him in favor of being swept away in the crowds, not caring what happened to himself in the least.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] This is a reference to the "sweet old lady" who runs the Koneko while the boys aren't there. I tried to confirm the name in my artbooks, etc, but I kept hitting kanji or worse and gave up. If you know differently, let me know, okay?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 5 & 6 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to all those who wrote me notes after the angst and gruesome details of Parts 3 & 4, a list which includes but is not limited to: Yanagi-sen, bearilou, Ami-chan, Yachii, Ryoko, and Rubious. 

Oh, and over at fanfiction.net, there's been a veritable explosion of comments in the last 24 hours, all of which brought the greatest smile to my face! Yanagi-sen left me a note there, too, (cuddles dear friend gratefully), Mr. Peabody dropped by again, e.e. sent me part-by-part feedback that means *so* much!, and the lovely Lemon Princess to whom the original story was dedicated left a lengthy and heartwarming note. Others who left comments were: Shonenlee, Silvi-chan, casey, ladyicecubes, and eeyore! Thanks all, and feel free to let me know what you think of the latest additions, okay?

Thanks for continuing to encourage me and if I hadn't been up all night with Lauren after a truly horrific nightmare hit her last night, Melpomene would've gone back to work on Part 21 today. As it is, I now have an all-new, incredibly sickening mental image courtesy of my twelve year old daughter's subconscious to throw at some unsuspecting bishounen in the future which is almost as frightening as Dr. Egami's summary of Ken's injuries! Too bad none of the Weiss boys really *wants* to permanently lose the use of his legs. I wonder if Nagi's tired of being able to walk? 

{evil laugh}

All foreshadowing aside since that's an idea that isn't going to be used in *this* story, allow me to bid you adieu and hope that your life is far less angsty than that of my characters or my family! 

Be Well!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(whose addiction to angst is showing to his WK friends in its truest colors for the first time and he's grateful to them for trusting him to continue, or are they really saying "continue or die, llama!"? {gleeful yet exhausted smile}) 

Parts 5 & 6 posted on 26 January 2002.


	7. Reaching Out

Title: Cold November Rain [part 7/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

Special Note: The Instant Message conversation below is written in present tense as if it were a dialogue and is interspersed with past tense narrative to enhance the reader's understanding of the scene. Also, the IM session is without emoticons, "stage directions", etc, due to the serious nature of the subject being discussed.

*****

++ day: 1. time: ~1000 hours ++

*****

In the smallest bedroom of the Schwarz penthouse, a computerized chime rang out dutifully attempting to alert the system's user that he was needed.

Rubbing at his face to dispel the understandable confusion that he felt upon regaining consciousness, Nagi glanced at the screen of his computer where an incoming message alert flashed urgently at him even as the chiming sounded again. Staggering from the bed to settle heavily into the chair in front of the monitor, he peered at the letters in front of him and asked the uncaring air around him, "Who the hell is 'BTWayne'?" [1] 

Uncertain what to expect, the telekinetic answered tersely:

****

Scherehände: Who are you and what do you want?

****

BTWayne: Is this Prodigy? 

Nagi was intrigued by this since only his own teammates would've called him this or someone he knew from that aspect of his life, a very short list of people to be certain. He asked:

****

Scherehände: Maybe, who's asking?

Yohji flashed a quick, semi-triumphant grin at the worried violet-eyed man beside him, relieved to get a less than enthusiastic greeting from the usually guarded young man then sobered and typed quickly, using references to Weiss to indicate the seriousness of the matter:

****

BTWayne: This is Balinese. Have you heard from Bombay this morning? It's an emergency.

Nagi gasped, shocked that the inquiry implied Omi wasn't the one being operated on yet his teammate didn't know where he was and then typed hurriedly with utter disregard to secrecy or anything other than discovering what had happened to his lover: 

****

Scherehände: No, I haven't! What's happened, Yohji?! Is he hurt? 

Even Aya felt relieved by this response, his hesitance over accepting Nagi completely into their lives decreasing further as it became obvious that the dark-eyed youth felt strongly for their young teammate. He watched as Yohji's long fingers flew across the keyboard to answer:

****

BTWayne: Last night's mission blew up in our faces. Ken's badly injured, Omi blames himself and he's vanished. We were hoping he was with you or at least had been in touch with you.

Chewing on his lower lip in anxiety, Nagi replied:

****

Scherehände: No, he's not with me and I've been going crazy worrying over him since last night!! Where are you located and where was Omi the last time you saw him? Maybe we can find him if we work together.

Yohji nodded to himself, pleased that he'd even thought to consult the Schwarz psychic in the first place as he answered:

****

BTWayne: Aya's with me and we're at Tokyo General Hospital waiting for Ken to get out of surgery, Nagi. Omi was with us until a few hours ago when he took off after saying this is all his fault. It's not, but you know how he can get. Please, we need your help!

Nagi's expression firmed with resolve and he promised:

****

Scherehände: I'll be more than glad to do anything I can to help, Yohji. Have you contacted the Koneko yet?

****

BTWayne: Yes. Momoe hasn't seen him. He doesn't have his cell phone with him or any other way for us to contact him or track him down. Any idea where he might go if he was upset or 

Yohji's fingers froze for a moment and the message went through of its own accord, the system assuming it was complete and leaving Nagi with a sudden sense of chill in the pit of his stomach.

****

Scherehände: "Or" what, Yohji? How bad is this really?

It very nearly tore the emerald-eyed man's heart out to answer the question, yet he knew now was not the time for half-answers or mysteries between those trying to set right what had gone so tragically wrong.

****

BTWayne: I'm sorry, Nagi, but the truth is we're not sure how bad it is yet. Ken might not make it and if Omi believes that it's all his fault, we could lose them both.

Forcing himself not to get choked up, the diminutive psychic answered:

****

Scherehände: I think I understand now, Yohji. Yes, unfortunately, I think you're right, so it's even more important that we find him before any more bad news can get to him, don't you think? If I go looking for him how can I keep you apprised of my progress? Do you have a pager or a cell phone or something? My identification systems tell me you aren't on one of the Weiss laptops so I know better than to rely on finding you again this way.

Violet eyes blinked in amazement. Aya had no idea how sophisticated Omi and his boyfriend were when it came to making any aspect of the information connections they used daily utterly transparent to themselves and he made a mental note not to underestimate them. In the meantime, however, he suggested aloud, "Why not give him Manx's cell phone number, Yohji? I know it's supposedly secret, but she can bust us for it later."

The taller man nodded and agreed, "Sounds like a good idea to me, Aya. Let's do that." 

****

BTWayne: We're going to borrow a cell phone. Call us at 1221 6269 the minute you get anything or even rule out a location. Where will you look first?

Nagi jotted the number down on a slip of paper that he shoved into a pocket along with his own cell phone and quickly ran through some options, all of which would require him to find some very fast transportation. 

****

Scherehände: First up, you can reach me at 5335 6244. I'm going to go to a couple places we used to meet before we knew it was safe to meet at the Koneko, maybe he went to one of those to try to sort things out?

As the petite telekinetic pulled on a warm jacket to ward off the chill left behind by the cold November rain, he read Yohji's response.

****

BTWayne: That sounds like a good place to start. A couple things you need to know, though. When he left us, he was wearing hospital surgical scrubs so unless he thought to steal someone's coat he's apt to be half frozen when you find him. He's also low on blood, they needed a huge transfusion for Ken from him and the doctor I talked to about it said he could just pass out somewhere if he keeps pushing himself. As soon as you find him, call us and we'll decide how to get both of you here to the hospital. Push come to shove, we'll send an ambulance, anything to have him back here safely.

Nagi was truly touched by the older man's show of affection for his boyfriend and he felt an odd warmth in his heart as he thought of the usually laid-back blond being so distraught over not only his injured partner's condition but also his missing friend. He sent one last message, though, as he asked:

****

Scherehände: Is there anything else I need to know or can I get started? Time's slipping away and something tells me I'm going to need to make every second count.

Surprisingly, the answer came in clipped words and an altogether different style that confirmed at least part of the next message he received:

****

BTWayne: This is Abyssinian. Find him. Do whatever you have to. Find him and bring him back to us no matter what it takes, understand?

A soft smile crossed the teen's face and he answered:

****

Scherehände: Absolutely, Aya. I won't come back empty-handed, he means too much to me to let him be alone and suffering like this. You can count on me.

Unbidden, a feeling of confidence and trust entered Aya's usually distrusting heart and he sent back his thanks and a modified version of Persia's own words that sent the men of Weiss into the bowels of Tokyo on a regular basis in the name of justice.

****

BTWayne: Arigatou. Good hunting.

With that the connection was lost and the race to prevent a tragedy began anew.

*****

Even as Nagi dashed from the Schwarz penthouse, pausing only long enough to steal Schuldich's car keys on the way out the door, Aya and Yohji took a moment to gather their thoughts.

"I sure as hell hope this works," the taller of the two commented rhetorically then fumbled with his pack of cigarettes to see if he needed to buy more.

Lost in thought, it took Aya a moment to answer, then he said simply, "It has to. We can't leave as long as Ken's in danger and there's no one who knows Omi as well as Nagi does, obviously." He nodded as if to himself then he added with mild disbelief as he tiredly ran a hand through scarlet hair, "I can't believe I just sent a member of Schwarz out to search for a member of Weiss. If that kid's teammates get wind of this, it could be trouble for all of us, especially him."

Yohji's search for cigarettes paused and he looked at Aya as if he couldn't believe his own ears and he commented, "Well, shit, Aya! Did I just hear you express your concern for *Nagi's* well being? Since when do *you* care about him?"

Pushing himself to his feet as if disdaining to answer the impudent question, the swordsman replied sincerely, "Since he's our last hope of finding Omi before he's ready to come back on his own, something that might not get a chance to happen as wiped out and confused as he is. Besides, Yohji," Aya cast him a glance that held hidden emotion and he added, "I know what it feels like to have someone you care deeply about lost in a city like this. Or have you forgotten the time you and Ken both simply vanished in opposite directions after arguing over that solo assignment from Persia that neither of you wanted but Omi took and got beaten half to death on?" Not waiting for an answer, the violet-eyed man turned and strode away, intending to get Manx's cell phone before Nagi might try to contact them.

Standing by the computer terminal with his hands on his hips and an expression of confusion on his face, Yohji mulled over the slightly younger man's words trying to put the pieces of the puzzle Aya had just handed him into place. 

After realizing that certain dates failed to match up, Yohji complained bitterly to the empty pack of cigarettes in his hand, "But that was at least a *month* before Ken and I finally got him into bed with us. What the fuck is he--" The lanky assassin's words trailed off as it suddenly occurred to him what Aya was really trying to tell him and he literally hit himself in the forehead and exclaimed, "I am *such* an idiot! We've been a trio for *how* long and he just *now* gets around to telling me he was in love with us before *that*?!?" 

The fact that the older man's mind easily translated the younger one's words from the less committal "care about" to "in love with" showed that he understood the swordsman better than either man might have ever expected. The current crisis had caused Aya to begin searching his soul more fully about how he felt about both of the men he had chosen as lovers, trying to determine how fully the term truly fit. Yohji's earlier cruel words had inadvertently triggered some much needed honesty within the heart of the violet-eyed man and this almost indirect admission was as close to a full confession as he could get at this point. 

Yohji had not been as closed with either of his lovers as Aya had, yet believed actions spoke louder than words for the most part and had certainly not made lengthy pronouncements of his own regarding his affections to the elder of his two partners. With the younger of the two-- the first man the former detective had allowed to see past the cool façade and into the sorrowful soul that lurked behind it--things had been entirely different. 

Theirs had been a romance of the soul before it became one of the flesh and there were many hours spent simply talking at length long before they let themselves pursue more physical pleasures. 

Unlike the two older men, Ken tended to wear his heart on his sleeve and this actually helped to keep things clear between them. He hadn't hesitated to simply tell Yohji straight to his face that he loved him one night after a long and difficult mission when an equipment malfunction left Balinese incommunicado and had tortured Siberian with the pain of not knowing his status. Startled by the other man's frankness, Yohji had admitted that he was starting to feel the same way and that was the night their relationship changed forever. Neither spoke of it publicly yet the depth of feeling between them was never in doubt, what they shared was love in its purest form yet it had been freely given and had expanded easily to encompass Aya as well.

Starting the walk back to the surgical waiting area with his mind a jumble of emotions and desires for a future that seemed beyond his reach, Yohji allowed the first inklings of a plan to form that might someday cement the three elder Weiss assassins together permanently. However, before anything even remotely like that could occur, his chocolate-eyed lover had to simply survive the horrific injuries he'd suffered earlier that day, something that certainly was not a guaranteed outcome at that point.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] The screen names here are based on figures from popular culture and were "chosen" by the characters themselves as reflections of their views of themselves. Omi is, obviously, the legendary archer and protector of the innocent, Robin Hood (RobinofLocksley). Nagi is the title character of Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands," a boy who was terribly lonely and in need of a friend. However, the Llama hastens to add that Omi probably endorsed this choice since live action bishounen Johnny Depp played Edward in the movie (Scherehände = German translation courtesy of Schu). Yohji is Batman's alter ego who was regarded as an infamous playboy despite actually being the world's greatest detective, a characterization that Yohji might apply to himself (BTWayne = "Bruce Thomas Wayne"). This is one of the unique pleasures of writing characters who use the computer as much as I do, to envision them selecting such an identifier from their own point of view no matter how odd that may be.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 7 & 8 will be posted together. 


	8. A Desperate Search

Title: Cold November Rain [part 8/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1000-1030 hours ++

*****

Sitting at a stop light and trying to distract himself, Nagi glanced at the interior of Schuldich's car for the first time from the driver's seat and he had to admit that his friend took remarkably good care of it despite his often cavalier attitude toward Estet property. As always, the members of Schwarz didn't own the real estate they lived in or the clothing or equipment they used, but to the telepath, the flame red Ferrari was all his and he treated it well. 

As soon as the light changed, however, Nagi's thoughts were totally focused once more on his objective since finding his missing boyfriend was all that really mattered to the youth at the time.

Approaching the small city park that he and Omi had frequented even before their relationship had matured from that of tentative friendship to that of confirmed lovers, the sable-haired youth felt a sense of disquiet. Even as he cut the engine and practically leapt from the car to walk to the bench they often sat upon together to watch the sunset, Nagi was considering where to look next almost certain the first place he looked would not provide the answers he sought.

Passing a few people walking their dogs in the gray mid-morning light, the telekinetic hurried around the bend in the trail, across a small bridge over a pond, and through a thicket of trees. 

Midnight blue eyes went wide as he spotted someone sitting on the bench he'd been seeking with their back to him, an unfamiliar sweatshirt's hood drawn up over their head and concealing hair color as well as facial features. Ordinarily, Nagi would have turned back at this point since he knew Omi's wardrobe intimately, but the warning about the young archer being insufficiently clothed for the cold autumn weather stayed in his mind and he became somewhat hopeful.

Rushing towards the bench, he finally gave in to the overwhelming desire to simply call out and he asked in a slightly louder than normal voice, "Omi? Koi? Is that you?"

The figure on the bench turned to regard him and the wrinkled face of an old woman peered at him before saying, "Pardon me? Were you addressing me, young man?"

Nagi froze in his steps then shook his head, "No, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Ah, I understand," the elderly lady nodded pleasantly then added, "Were you meeting someone here? I'll be glad to find another bench to sit upon, young lovers shouldn't have to hunt for one another in the park on a gloomy day like today."

A frown crossed the pale boy's face and he shook his head sadly, "No, that's all right. I, well, I'm not even sure where my friend is right now. I apologize for disturbing you." He turned and began to jog back to the car, eager to look elsewhere.

The woman watched the boy running off then clucked her tongue unhappily, "Such a nice young man shouldn't have to search for his girlfriend like that. I hope they find each other soon." Giving her visitor no more thought, the woman went back to merely admiring the change of seasons and watched as life passed her by at its usual slow pace.

As soon as he arrived at Schuldich's car, Nagi pulled out his cell phone and dialed quickly, nervously inserting the key into the ignition and pulling back onto the main road intending to head to his next destination quickly. 

"Manx here," a woman's voice answered his call with less than friendly tones. 

"I need to speak to Yohji-kun," Nagi said without explanation.

"You need to what?" The red-haired woman asked in annoyance when she realized she didn't recognize the caller and then paused as a masculine voice spoke to her beyond the range of the phone. After some noise that indicated the small device was changing hands, he heard the familiar bass of the eldest Weiss member who greeted him with, "Nagi? This is Yohji. Any luck yet?"

Changing lanes as he talked, Nagi answered, "Not yet. I've tried the park we usually go to and came up empty. Is there any word on Ken-kun?"

Yohji winced as he heard the young assassin use what he considered an "Omi-ism" by adding the honorific to the brunette's name, he'd forgotten that Nagi tended to follow his boyfriend's speech patterns when he was with them. He answered, "Unfortunately there's nothing new yet. Maybe no news is good news, but I kinda doubt that phrase is meant for when someone's in an operating room. Where do you plan to look next, Nagi?"

"I'll try a coffee shop we like to meet at after school," the petite telekinetic answered and added, "Hopefully even if he's been there and left already someone would've recognized him. If I could get even a hint as to his location, that would narrow the search considerably."

"Yeah, I guess it would," Yohji agreed feeling helpless since he couldn't do anything actively for either of the two young men he was so concerned about at the time. Sighing, he ended the conversation, "Give us a call either way, okay?"

"Sure thing," Nagi agreed readily. "I'll call as soon as I have any new information." Closing the connection, he focused on the ten kilometers of Tokyo mid-morning traffic he had to get through making good time despite the fact that he had relatively little driving experience much less a license.

Pulling up outside a small café which lay roughly halfway between the Koneko and the Schwarz penthouse, Nagi parked the car illegally and dashed inside heart hopeful once more. 

Standing by the hostess stand was a young woman he recognized who smiled at him and asked, "What are you doing out of school, Naoe-san? Is there a holiday today?"

"No, Mamba-chan," Nagi smiled, glad that the strawberry blonde was on duty and he asked in a rush, "Have you seen Omi this morning? I'm looking for him."

The girl frowned slightly and shook her head unhappily before asking, "I haven't seen him, but did you two have a fight or something?"

"No, nothing like that," the sable-haired boy tried to reassure her, then he asked, "if I give you my cell phone number and you see him later, could you call me please? It's really important."

"Of course!" The woman handed him an order pad and pencil and said, "Just write it on here and if we see him we'll give you a call, okay?"

Nagi took the offered items and quickly wrote down his cell number and returned it to her saying, "Thanks, Mamba-chan! I appreciate your help!"

"No problem at all," the woman smiled encouragingly then offered, "I hope you find him soon."

"So do I," Nagi responded somewhat dispiritedly. He'd hoped against hope that he'd find Omi there sipping a warm latte and he'd be able to get him back to the hospital quickly, but it was not meant to be. He waved good-bye then made his way back to the car where he called Yohji once more.

"Still no luck?" The emerald-eyed man asked, not pleased that the young blond Weiss member remained unaccounted for and feeling guilty all over again that Omi had evaded him in the hospital only a few hours earlier.

"None," the worried Schwarz assassin responded, dread building in his heart as he noted he'd already been searching for nearly a half-hour without success. Feeling like a total failure, he added, "If you get any ideas of places I should look, let me know, okay? Omi's spent more of his time with you and the others, maybe I'm *not* the best person to send to look for him."

The older man frowned when he heard this. After Manx had bitched them out for giving the Schwarz psychic her cell phone number, Yohji had argued vehemently that if anyone could find Omi it was Nagi and he believed it wholeheartedly. Now he needed to convince the worried youth of it and hope for the best. 

"Nagi," Yohji said comfortingly, "you *are* the best person for this, trust me. He may have spent a lot of time with us but it's not the same. Omiitchi once told me he was never as happy as he was when he was with you, so it stands to reason the places he might go when he's upset are places that make him think of you."

"Really?" A spark of hope rekindled in Nagi's heart and he asked, "When he said that, did he mention any places in particular that he'd felt that way?" Despite his misgivings about not being able to find the missing boy, the telekinetic was driving to his next destination while talking to Yohji and he turned the car towards a tourist area the young couple often disappeared within. As the ancient saying has it that it is easiest to hide a tree in a forest, the two teenaged assassins had discovered that they could hide wherever large masses of people gathered, wonderfully safe anonymity granted by simply being lost in the crowd.

"Not really," Yohji admitted then shrugged as he said, "Just trust your instincts, okay, Nagi?"

"Okay, I'll call as soon as I check my next location." Somewhat more confident, Nagi cut the connection and pulled into a parking spot amongst the various tour buses and cars whose license plates indicated residence in other areas and he took a deep breath, trying to center himself again.

Once he felt as if he could face the throngs of happy sailor-suited school children they tended to encounter in the park-like grounds surrounding one of Tokyo's many museums, Nagi got out of the sports car and made his way towards a nearby elevated bridge. The scenic structure that crossed a broad waterway was a place that the young couple often used to meet while their relationship had been a clandestine one. A half-smile graced the psychic's face as he noted that it looked as beautiful in the gray light of a chilly November morning as it had so many other times.

Stepping into the crowds who gathered on the bridge to get classic tourist photos of the architecturally impressive museum, however, he saw something far more wonderful than anything made of steel and glass. Roughly half-way across the bridge and leaning against a railing was a male figure he'd never fail to recognize regardless of the fact that it seemed to be shivering in nothing more than drab surgical scrubs instead of its usual attractive and stylish "teenwear". 

Pushing his way through the crowd, Nagi raised one hand above his head and called out, "Omi!! Over here! Omi!!"

The previously missing Weiss assassin failed to hear his name above the cacophony of the crowd and he continued to peer at the water far beneath him with a look of infinite sadness etched upon his gentle face. 

Feelings of guilt and remorse had increased as Omi had wandered among the city's numerous subway routes searching for something his confused mind couldn't identify. It had been sheer luck that Manx had given him some cash at the hospital before they had approached his teammates but it hadn't been enough to get him very far or even enough for something to eat or drink. The medical team at Tokyo General would've been furious to know that the boy they had bled far too much in the name of saving a friend hadn't been resting or rebuilding his strength as he should have been. 

In his current weakened and badly chilled state, Omi was lost in the recesses of his mind. The desperately unhappy youth had no idea that trying to force his way past a clot of bubbly schoolgirls was a young man who loved him dearly and desperately wanted him to be safe.

"Omi!!" Nagi called again, now only a few meters from his boyfriend's side, yet the blond failed to turn his way and it made his heart ache as he rushed closer still.

Feelings of dizziness had come and gone for the cerulean-eyed teen with increasing frequency during the previous hour or so and as one gripped him, he shuddered almost violently, frightening the youth who was almost within touching distance.

"OMI!!!" Nagi cried out, drawing the attention of all those around him and as the Weiss assassin spun to see who had called his name, time suddenly slowed to a crawl. 

"Nagi?" The older boy gasped as realization hit him as to the identity of the one calling for him yet the dizziness hit him forcefully and he stumbled backwards against the low railing he had been leaning on moments before. Vertigo swept through Omi and his legs felt as if they had turned to rubber and he continued to fall backwards against the empty air above the waterway beneath the bridge. 

Seeing Omi begin to fall away from him, Nagi lunged forward, pale hand out-stretched to catch his lover's hand before he could fall to a watery doom but his arm wasn't long enough to compensate for the way the other boy was dragged away by gravity. The two boys' fingertips brushed as Nagi called his beloved's name one more time and then it was too late.

Omi toppled off the bridge entirely, wide light blue eyes gazing back at frightened dark blue ones with sadness and in his heart he said one word, "Sayonara."

For the briefest of moments, Nagi froze. 

Deeply ingrained in the telekinetic's soul was the injunction never to demonstrate his powers as publicly as he would have to if he wished to rescue Omi by the most direct means possible. Yet, if he allowed the Weiss archer to continue to fall and then try to make his entry into the cold water a safe one, it would take lightning fast reflexes and a precision application of his powers at a distance that he wasn't sure he was even capable of. If, however, he gave in to the natural desire to try to pull his lover back to him directly, the many witnesses around them would see everything and his true nature would be revealed, something years of Estet programming told him would be worse than death itself.

Pinned on the horns of the dilemma, Nagi was unable to move for the tiniest fragment of eternity imaginable.

In that moment beyond time, the Weiss assassin was poised in midair as if held up by the unseen hand of a mighty angel. The Schwarz psychic was rooted to the bridge, hand still out-stretched beseechingly and a scream half-formed on his lips. Crowds of terrified onlookers were as motionless as mannequins. And nothing would change until Nagi's decision was made and life could go forward once more.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 7 & 8 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to my two wonderful daughters in recognition of the fact that they have been a big help to me while this epic has been undergoing the creative birth-pangs anything this huge goes through. 

Despite the fact that this story isn't finished as a rough draft even, they're already hard at work helping me on a *very* special major development for the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity and we've talked about it almost every evening over dinner this week. Granted, spending the whole day shopping with them got to be a bit much, but does *anyone* expect a 42 year old dad to appreciate teen girls' fashion? Oh well, at least they pointed out several sweetly suggestive things they thought Nagi might want to give Omi for Valentine's Day! 

{winks evilly and snickers softly at the thought of the less than subtle things they spotted for Ken to give to Yohji and Aya as this particular trio is written here, after all, Kenken *ought* to be out of the cast on his arm by Valentine's Day and he *might* want to celebrate, ne?}

Enough nonsense from the Casa de Llama for tonight! Hope to see you again soon with more and I thank you in advance for the kind words of praise via direct email as well as comments at fanfiction.net. To hear from so many readers that the level of detail in this story really brings this to life helps immensely since that is one of the things that I take great pains to include in my writing. 

That, and *really* heart-wrenching posting run ends, ne?

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is sorry he's not going to get a chance to do a full list of names of those who wrote to him after last night's posting run, he's too tired and Melpomene insisted on getting Part 8 out tonight no matter the cost saying something about "misery loves company")

Special PS to Fanfiction.net Friends:

Arigatou, again, for the kind words of support!! 

There is no better way for a writer to express his appreciation to so many wonderful people than to keep working on the one thing they all love, in my humble opinion. Therefore, instead of taking an evening or two off to thank the wonderful folks here individually for their kind words, I shall keep my nose to the proverbial grindstone and keep trying to get new parts of this angst epic posted ASAP. I realize that sooner or later I'm going to collapse due to lack of sleep and might need a day of rest here or there, but for now I shall post this cliffhanger that e. e. likes so much (oh, and it's spelled "Schwarz", dear friend, but it doesn't really matter, what matters is that *you* have worked so hard to tell me what you enjoyed so I could continue to provide it for you!) as well as more of the bishounen torture that Lemon Princess likes {winks tiredly at the lovely Zania} and go to bed. 

Thank you for taking a moment and commenting. You *really* made me smile and that helps more than you might guess!

Posted 27 January 2002


	9. High Risk Rescue

Attention Fanfiction.net Friends:

Hello! Thanks for dropping by Angst Theatre tonight and apologies again for leaving both you *and* Omi hanging last night. It certainly wasn't intended as an extended torture session but consider it practice, that is *not* the worst cliffhanger in this story, mores the pity!

I'm glad that some of you got a laugh or a smile from my "intermission" post and even though it's being replaced by this piece of fic, I'm glad it served its purpose and let you know that I hadn't abandoned you, I just needed to sleep. 

A special note I wish to add is that all the comments here are wonderful and I'm extremely grateful for them! They're leading to some rather interesting changes in the story, but more about that after Part 10 ends, I need to get the hell out of the way and let Nagi do something about his boyfriend right now, ne?

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who hasn't got a clue how many more parts this story is going to have but assures you it isn't even *half* over yet! ah, the angst, the glorious angst!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 9/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1030-1050 hours ++

*****

Nagi's moment of indecision had seemed to be a long one, yet it had been incredibly brief and Omi's descent towards the icy waters below the bridge had only progressed a few meters. Then everything seemed to happen at once.

"OMI!!!" Nagi's temporally frozen scream finally emerged along with the strongest outpouring of his psychic abilities that had ever occurred in his young life. The dilemma between hiding his true nature and rescuing his chosen love had been proven invalid by the strength of his feelings for the imperiled youth.

Huge tendrils of telekinetic force rippled out from the teen's too-slender body and reached like immense invisible hands to gently enfold the older boy in midair then lifted him carefully back up towards the bridge. 

Nagi's eyes had gone almost black with effort and sweat dripped from his brow yet he continued to push his extraordinary abilities to their limits and soon he had Omi safely in his arms. The power drain was inordinate, though, and the diminutive telekinetic collapsed physically under the combined weight of himself and his somewhat heavier lover to lay struggling for consciousness even as they both fought to get enough air to breathe. 

Even though the two youths involved in the bizarre rescue couldn't speak, the people surrounding them could, and voices from the faceless mass cried out in understandable confusion and fear.

"Are you all right?!"

"Oh my god! Did you *see* that?!?"

"What the hell just happened?!"

"Somebody call the police or an ambulance or something!!"

"No, please don't," Omi asked in a breathless voice gazing first at Nagi's ashen face beneath him then back at the frightened people crowding around them.

"Why not?!" A youthful schoolteacher demanded, his class of rambunctious seventh-graders hushed in awe by the miraculous sight they'd witnessed. 

Omi just shook his head in negation as he moved to reverse positions with his smaller lover, cradling the exhausted psychic in his arms hoping against hope that Nagi would recover quickly. He then turned huge pleading cerulean eyes to the people pressing close and begged, "There would be too many questions and there really aren't any answers. Please?"

"I'm not sure about that," the concerned man answered in a tone that expressed carefully controlled disbelief. He then turned to one of his students and asked, "Lori-chan, do you have that bottle of water I asked you to carry for me?"

A surprisingly calm girl with piercing sea green eyes pulled a sapphire bottle from her knapsack and handed it to him, "Here you are, sensei. Is everything okay now?" 

Her question held far less fear than Omi might've expected and he wondered why the elfin child didn't have the same shocked look on her face as all of the others did, but his thoughts were cut off before they were fully formed as the teacher handed him the water. Breaking the seal and helping Nagi to take a much needed sip, the youngest member of Weiss forgot to worry over the schoolgirl who had already vanished back into the crowd as if she had never been there in the first place.

"Are you all right, Nagi-love?" Omi asked with concern, not giving a damn about how any of the bystanders might react to the endearment being exchanged with another male. After all, they had all just witnessed something truly astounding, why should a simple admission to a same-sex relationship make even a tiny impression on their already awe-struck minds?

Eyes shifting slowly back to their normal midnight hues instead of the frightening dead blackness which had filled them earlier, Nagi nodded weakly, then forced a small smile as he gasped softly, "Yes, I'm all right now that I know you're safe, koi." He leaned his head gratefully against Omi's shoulder and took another sip of the water the schoolteacher had given them, his soul rejoicing that his beloved partner was uninjured.

Other people in the crowd offered assistance or words of concern as the pair regained their strength and far overhead, the sun peeked through the clouds for the first time all day.

A ray of sunshine danced down through the sky to dazzle those gathered on the bridge and it sparkled and shimmered on the water far below even as Omi finally rose to his feet and pulled Nagi along with him. The couple then offered their thanks to those like the teacher who had helped them as well as the others who simply didn't make matters worse than they had to be, then they made a hasty retreat to Schuldich's Ferrari.

Quickly climbing into the unfamiliar yet impressive vehicle and watching with a sad smile as his lover drove them away from the parking lot Omi couldn't remember walking past even though he had, the blond teen asked, "Nagi-love? How did you know to look for me?"

Nagi's previous smile wilted and he sighed slightly as he admitted, "Yohji and Aya IMed me this morning looking for you, Omi-koi. They were very worried about you."

Omi frowned unhappily and felt guilty as memories of just what he'd been running from returned and he asked, "What did they tell you about what happened?" As it occurred to him there might be news he had yet to receive about his injured teammate, he added quickly, "Did they say how Ken-kun is doing? Is he out of surgery yet?"

Shaking his head sadly, the sable-haired teen replied, "No, there wasn't anything new on his condition the last time I called, koi. As to what they told me, well, it wasn't everything, but what I saw on the news this morning told me more than I might've wanted to know."

Temporarily distracted, Omi asked, "Why do you say that? What did you see on the news?"

Nagi fought the desire to shudder with revulsion as images of the pieces of the mutilated dead left behind by two outraged assassins came to mind and said simply, "The bodies, Omi. All the people that Yohji and Aya destroyed this morning. Someone found them and called the police. They showed it on TV."

"Oh god, no!" Omi gasped aloud and shame scorched him deeply before he whimpered quietly and dropped his head into his hands, "All my fault, that's all my fault! I should've known better than to think it would be an easy assignment! And now someone may come after Aya-kun and Yohji-kun and it's all *my* fault!" 

"No, love! I'm sure it's not your fault," Nagi rushed to reassure, hoping to defuse the situation before Omi could drop back into the dark cloud of sadness he'd been lost within when the Schwarz psychic had first arrived at the bridge. However, before he could add anything to support his argument, unexpected music caused them both to jump slightly.

The soft, melancholy strains of a classical composition in a minor scale played from Nagi's cell phone and the petite psychic scooped it up and answered guiltily, "Yes?"

"Nagi? Is that you?" Aya asked uncertainly, the scarlet-haired assassin not as familiar with the telekinetic's voice as the other members of Weiss were by this point.

Surprised that it wasn't Schuldich calling to demand that he return the stolen car immediately or face countless days of painful humiliation instead of being turned over to Crawford for punishment, Nagi answered almost happily, "Aya-kun? Yes, it's me."

Standing in the surgical waiting room and watching his elder lover outside stretching and enjoying the first rays of sunshine that had reached them so far as well as the last of the cigarettes, the violet-eyed man almost smiled as he asked, "Did you find Omi yet? I assumed you had since it had been awhile since we heard from you, but Yohji wasn't as confident as I was, so I thought I'd call and find out. What's your status?"

A sudden flush tinted alabaster cheeks as Nagi realized belatedly that he hadn't notified them that he'd found Omi and he rushed to answer, "Gomenasai, Aya-kun! Yes, I did find him. Uh, it's kind of a long story, but I'll let you talk to him."

Aya cocked his head in confusion then said simply, "All right." 

Nagi handed the phone to his boyfriend and Omi greeted his teammate shyly, "Hello, Aya-kun. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble."

"Don't worry about it now, Omi," the usually icy swordsman's voice held an unfamiliar tenderness as he asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," the Weiss archer answered automatically, unwilling to burden his teammate with the truth about his exhausted and badly stressed condition. Then he rushed to ask, "How is Ken-kun? Is he out of surgery yet? Is he going to be okay?"

Scowling as the sun sank beneath a bank of clouds and left Yohji with his shoulders slumped as he took a last few puffs on his cigarette, Aya answered sadly, "No, Omi, he's not out of the operating room yet and they haven't told us anything new in hours. Just get back here as soon as you can, alright? You shouldn't have left when you did and Dr. Yanagisawa is quite concerned about you as are Yohji, Manx, and myself."

"Dr. Yanagisawa?" Omi asked in confusion then remembered the man who had seen to it that Ken didn't die of blood loss through the use of himself as a transfusion donor. "Uh, let me guess. I'm supposed to be in the waiting room resting and drinking plenty of fluids and aren't, so he's angry, right?"

Aya wasn't even tempted to chuckle the way that Yohji would've been by such an admission of knowledgeable guilt and he replied, "Precisely. Can you give me a time estimate on your arrival? I think Yohji will want to know." Of course, the pale-skinned Weiss assassin wanted to know, too, but he'd displayed as much emotion as he could handle at the moment. 

Omi glanced at Nagi and asked, "How soon will we be at Tokyo General, love?" 

The Schwarz assassin glanced at the street signs and answered, "Another fifteen to twenty minutes, koi."

Nodding his appreciation as well as his understanding, Omi spoke into the phone, "Fifteen to twenty minutes, Aya-kun." Somewhat nervously, he added, "Um, Nagi will be with me, will that be okay?"

Violet eyes blinked in surprise at the question. The telekinetic had gone to unknown lengths to find and retrieve Omi at the request of himself and his elder lover and Aya was baffled as to why his young friend would doubt that the boy would be welcome amongst them now. He asked, "Why wouldn't it be? Besides, I'd like to get a chance to thank him personally for accomplishing what Yohji and I couldn't."

Omi's mouth hung open for a moment in a look of surprise and then he smiled an almost normal genki smile and he agreed, "Okay! We'll be there soon, Aya-kun. Bye!" 

Aya snorted softly as the line went dead and he shook his head before placing Manx's cell phone into a pocket and proceeding to share the news with his partner outside where the air had gone chill once more.

Even as the two eldest Weiss members shared news, the youngest one turned to glance at his lover and asked, "By the way, Nagi-love, when did *you* get a driver's license? Oh, and whose car is this? It's really nice."

Relieved that Omi was back to normal at least temporarily, Nagi answered, "I *didn't* get a license, koi, I'm too young yet, remember? As to whose car this is, well, believe it or not, this is Schu's and you're right, it is pretty nice."

"This is *Schuldich's* car?" Omi asked in astonishment, "How did you get *him* to loan you his car to come after me? You didn't tell him about--?" His words trailed off meaningfully and he swallowed hard wondering how everything would change if Schwarz knew about their relationship now. 

"No, nothing like that," Nagi said quickly. "I, er, um, 'borrowed' the keys on my way out the door. I rather think he won't be too happy about it, but it was worth it since I found you before something awful could happen."

Omi's expression darkened once more and he shook his head, then looked out the window at the city flashing past as he answered dejectedly, "I hope you won't get in too much trouble then, love. As for finding me before things could get worse, it could still happen, you know. Ken-kun isn't out of surgery yet and until he is and they say everything's going to be all right, I won't make any bets as to when it's safe to say *that* again." His words ended on a forlorn sigh and then cerulean eyes slid shut as the older of the two teens let his head fall back against the headrest for a few minutes of quiet introspection.

Nagi regarded him with sadness and drove on in silence. He made sure the heater was pouring as much warm air as it could over them both since they had gotten soaked in the moments they'd lain on the wet surface of the bridge after his powers had literally brought Omi back from the hands of death. 

The rest of the ride to the hospital included brief words of encouragement and love from the sable-haired boy to the blond who barely found the energy to answer them most of the time. 

By the time the red sports car pulled into the parking lot of Tokyo General Hospital, however, the mood was somber and their thoughts revolved around a chocolate-eyed young man that they might never see alive again and it was all they could do to hope otherwise. 

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 9 & 10 will be posted together. 


	10. Disturbing News and a Warm Reunion

Title: Cold November Rain [part 10/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1105-1150 hours ++

*****

While Omi and Nagi were on their way back to the hospital to join the others in their vigil as Ken's surgery continued, an annoyed female Kritiker agent stalked into the waiting room muttering something about some people needing to keep their opinions to themselves.

After tossing a small package at Yohji which the lanky man caught without looking up, Manx complained bitterly, "Don't *ever* ask me to do that for you again, Balinese!"

Less than innocent jade green eyes peered at her over the rim of sunglasses and Yohji asked, "What's the matter, Manx? Did they card you or something?"

Aya watched disinterestedly and in the back of his mind he wondered if that joke might've made a certain brunette smile or even chuckle in that endearing way Ken had when he wasn't paying attention. Deciding the former soccer player probably would have and then further pondering whether or not he'd get the chance to hear it again anytime soon, the scarlet-haired swordsman only succeeded in making himself feel more depressed and he wiped his thoughts blank, since feeling nothing was better than feeling pain.

"No," the angry redhead snarled, then gazed at her perfectly manicured nails as if they were far more interesting than the rakishly handsome former playboy in front of her and snapped, "I got a lecture from some damned hospital volunteer about how those things are going to kill me. When I explained they weren't for me but for some idiotic man, the dumb bitch at least cut me some slack and I got the hell out of there, but still! She's right, those disgusting things are going to give you cancer, Kudou."

Her glare meant less than nothing as Yohji laughed mirthlessly and shook his head as he tore the plastic wrapper off the pack and began prying open the lid. "Fuck that, Manx," he remarked peevishly, "I'm a goddamned *assassin*! Did you think I was *planning* on living much past twenty-five? Hell, it's a miracle I made it to twenty-two!"

"You never know," the woman conceded, then glanced at Aya before adding, "I thought at least *one* of you wasn't suicidal. Guess I was wrong."

The blond man rose fluidly intending to take advantage of the arrival of a new supply of nicotine to relax a bit, but his thoughts were dark and sadly hopeful as he contemplated the fact that if his two lovers ever asked him to quit smoking, he might consider it. However, as long as they never said anything and his life remained a seemingly unending angst-fest, he'd remain a tobacco user, it settled his thoughts. Besides, in Yohji's own considered opinion, he looked sexy with a smoldering cigarette dangling from his hand while at a club or even poised on his lips while lounging against a wall during a stakeout.

"She's got a point, you know," Aya muttered quietly, glancing up from the arms crossed over his chest to gaze at the older of his two lovers with an unreadable expression on his face. 

Yohji stopped in his tracks, shocked that the violet-eyed man had spoken up at all much less that he'd done so on the side of reason for a change. But before he could discover what exactly Aya was trying to get at, an exhausted, blood-spattered man walked into the waiting room and sat down heavily in one of the chairs, a woebegone look on his face.

"Dr. Egami?" Manx inquired with sudden concern, standing and approaching the man as if being closer might make the news he bore easier to cope with. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Yohji rushed towards the man and demanded, "Is it about Ken?! Is he all right?!"

Aya, too, had risen to his feet, preferring to face whatever new crisis had arisen able to move quickly if he needed to yet not asking what was obviously on all of their minds.

The physician ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and shook his head tiredly before answering, "He's not dead, if that's what you're afraid of…"

"That's good!" Manx interrupted.

"…not yet, anyway," the surgeon finished not even bothering to cast an annoyed look at the agitated woman. He took a deep breath, then sat forward to rest his elbows on his knees and he explained, "That boy must have the heart of a lion to have survived as long as he has, but I'm not sure how much longer we can keep him alive. The operation has hit snag after snag, we're low on blood, my team is tiring, and there's just not much left we can do for him."

"What do you mean?" Aya asked in a dangerous voice, fists tightly clenched at his sides and back ramrod straight. If the doctors were considering stopping what they were doing in their efforts to save the life of someone that Abyssinian loved, they had best give it more thought if they didn't want a very angry assassin in their midst.

Egami shrugged and looked up at the glowering man and answered, "I *mean*," he said the words slowly hoping to defuse the scarlet-haired man's anger, "we're doing all that we can for him and will keeping doing so, but it's difficult. We're having a hard time keeping him from slipping away from us and if nothing changes, he won't survive the surgery. Even if he *does* make it through, however, I wouldn't want to predict whether or not he'd last 24 hours in the intensive care unit afterwards."

To the physician's amazement, Yohji suddenly leaned down and grabbed his blood-streaked scrubs and yanked him to his feet, growling, "He *will* survive the surgery, damn it all! Ken's strong, you said so yourself! If *you* give up, then there's no chance he'll make it, so stop talking like this!"

Stunned black eyes peered at the man who dared to manhandle him and grew wider still as a pale hand dropped onto Yohji's shoulder and Aya urged quietly, "Let him go, Yohji. He's only trying to warn us about what could happen."

Agonized emerald eyes turned to gaze at amethyst ones as if searching for a deeper sense of confidence in the situation and not receiving it. After releasing the doctor's clothes with an angry snort, Yohji growled, "Either way, I don't care for his attitude. They say patients in surgery pick up on stuff like this and if Ken thinks the people in that room expect him to die he might do just that."

"No, he won't," Aya insisted quietly, feeling more than a little out of his depth trying to offer comfort and reassurance under the circumstances as he added, "You know the only people he ever listens to are you, me, and Omi. As long as he doesn't hear it from one of us, Ken should be okay."

"Since when are you so optimistic?" Yohji asked incredulously, the astonishment of hearing Aya's words helping to erase a little of his anger with the surgeon who simply stood and waited to see what the outcome of their discussion would be. 

The man had actually come into the room to discuss whether or not Ken was a registered organ donor since the operation was going so poorly, but as he reflected on the interchange between the two men, he decided it was a matter that could wait.

Sighing and shaking his head slowly, Aya answered, "I'm *not* an optimist, Yohji, you know that. This is more a matter of being a realist. Ken's not going to let anyone other than one of us tell him to quit and we'll see to it that he gets every lucky break he can get, all right?"

"All right," Yohji agreed then frowned as he asked the physician, "Can you give us an estimate for how much longer this is going to take? You mentioned your team was getting tired, I'd hate to see him not make it because your people needed a break."

Egami looked at him for a moment, wondering why he'd ask that when he'd already told them what a nightmare the whole thing had become, then answered honestly, "We could be finished in a couple of hours or it could be well into the afternoon, there's no way to tell. Either way, I have a second surgical team on standby and if it gets to be too much later, they'll prep and take over from us. If that happens, I'll see to it that you get a chance to talk to the head of the group before they start. I intend to stay involved as well, so I hope you will remain patient as we try our best to return him to full health one way or the other."

Manx cleared her throat authoritatively before answering for them all, saying, "Of course, doctor. I'm sure my associates didn't mean to be disrespectful and we appreciate your efforts. We won't keep you any longer."

"Very well," the man said then turned to look at Yohji once more, an expression of sadness and fear having replaced the anger in jade eyes. The surgeon added reassuringly, "We really will do our best for him, son. You went to some pretty extreme lengths to get him to us for treatment and we won't do any less trying to see to it that he gets everything he needs."

"Thanks," Yohji accepted the man's words yet his thoughts were echoing with what had been said earlier and he felt as if he was hearing the encouraging words from the bottom of an empty well.

The room lapsed back into silence as Manx followed the physician from the room intending to see if there was anything her connections through Kritiker and beyond could do to help with the blood supply problems the man had mentioned.

Aya was uncertain what to do next, his attempts to bolster his lover's confidence having left him with an odd sensation in his chest that he couldn't quantify. 

Yohji was fumbling with the pack of cigarettes again as the need for nicotine cried out within him. He'd succeeded at pulling one free and stuffing it between his lips when a welcome voice destroyed his plan to go back to the smoking area he was becoming a bit too familiar with.

"Aya-kun? Yohji-kun? We're back," Omi's usually chipper voice was an octave lower than normal, sadness and remorse having a profound effect on everything about him as he stepped into the room wearing the same surgical scrubs as before yet looking damp and miserable.

"Omiitchi!" Yohji greeted happily, sticking the cigarette over one ear and moving to wrap the teen in a warm and protective hug totally ignoring the sodden nature of the smaller blond's clothes. After giving him a good hard squeeze that silently spoke of the abiding brotherly love he felt for the boy, he added quietly, "Damn, I'm glad to see you, bishounen! When you took off earlier, I thought I was going to go nuts! Are you okay?"

Omi sighed tiredly and knew he wasn't going to pretend that everything was fine when it wasn't, but said simply, "I'll survive, Yohji-kun." He closed his eyes briefly and leaned into the embrace, glad for a moment's respite before inquiring about their teammate's progress.

Even as the eldest and youngest Weiss assassins greeted one another, Aya stepped past them both to approach the Schwarz psychic hand outstretched in welcome and gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Nagi, for bringing Omi back to us."

Midnight blue eyes widened in surprise. The scarlet-haired man had always gone out of his way to avoid touching him previously as if to make contact was the same as accepting him fully into his trust. Yet here he was offering and Nagi gladly lifted his own hand in return as he said, "You're quite welcome, Aya-kun. Granted, I feel that it should be *me* thanking you and Yohji-kun both for contacting me earlier this morning. I was quite worried about Omi and Ken, so getting that IM saved me a lot of pain."

"That's what you mentioned on the computer earlier," Aya remarked as their hands separated and he crossed his arms thoughtfully before asking, "Why were you worried other than the fact that you hadn't heard from him? Or was that enough?"

Omi left the warmth of Yohji's arms to move to stand closer to his diminutive lover and he, too, peered at the boy seeking information as did the green-eyed man who continued to smile pleased that at least one of their crises had been dealt with.

Nagi shook his head and found that selecting the right words for what he wanted to say was harder than he'd suspected it might be. With a small shrug of his shoulders he admitted, "Actually, the fact that I hadn't heard anything might not have been so bad if Omi hadn't been on assignment last night, but you can well imagine how I felt not knowing how everything had gone for you. Then this morning at breakfast, Crawford had a vision of one of you being in serious trouble but he wasn't sure which one."

"Oh? That American bastard was seeing *us* again, was he?" Yohji growled angrily, unable to forgive the man for some of the more injurious encounters the two rival assassin groups had had on the urban battlefield in the past. With a snarl, he added, "I wish he'd leave us out of his voyeuristic precog crap!"

"He can't control it," Nagi explained, disliking the hateful tones being addressed towards someone he had mixed emotions about in the first place yet not disagreeing with the slender man who had every right to feel the way that he did all things considered. Narrow shoulders trembled slightly as he added, "Besides, I saw the bodies you left behind on the news this morning. If I hadn't heard about it from Crawford, I would've known it then."

"You what?!?" Yohji exclaimed, shocked to hear that evidence of their brutality had already become public knowledge and fearing the consequences as much as Omi had previously.

None of the men heard the soft tread of a woman's shoes approaching them as Nagi answered with a look of horror on his pale features, "It was on TV this morning, Yohji-kun. I'm sorry, I assumed you knew about it already. It was pretty graphic, I'm surprised the network let them show it in the first place." He didn't get a chance to add that he'd seen Omi's gloves there and worried about evidence for possible legal prosecution of the Weiss assassins when a feminine voice interrupted.

"That's a mistake that has already been addressed," Manx stated flatly, remembered anger with a glory-hungry precinct captain in the back of her mind being set aside as she welcomed the two new arrivals. "Omi, I'm glad you're safe. Would you care to introduce me to your friend?" The Kritiker agent knew who "Prodigy" was as far as her agency was concerned, but after talking with the two elder members of Weiss while the boy had searched for Omi, she wanted to give Nagi the benefit of the doubt and she hoped to start their new association well.

Omi turned from glum and frightened to almost happy as he saw the woman who had always supported and encouraged him and he agreed eagerly yet stumbled slightly over the formal introduction. "Yes, I would, please. Um, Manx? May I introduce Naoe Nagi?" He smiled as he saw his boyfriend struggle briefly with whether or not to offer to shake the redhead's hand and then he added, "Nagi, this is Manx. I hope the two of you can be friends."

"I'm sure we can," the woman said relieving the telekinetic of the decision by placing her hand into his and shaking it warmly as she added, "I've looked forward to meeting you for some time now, Nagi. I'm sorry it had to be under such difficult circumstances."

Relaxing more than he'd ever have thought he could in the presence of the high ranking Kritiker agent, the sable-haired boy nodded, "I understand, but sometimes there's forces at work no one can control, ne? But may I ask what you meant about the news bulletin? Won't this make things awfully hard for Aya-kun and Yohji-kun if the police try to find whoever killed those people?"

Manx suppressed a desire to smile at the endearing way the young psychic mimicked his boyfriend knowing that such an observation wouldn't be welcomed right now and instead focused on what had apparently been bothering the boy, "That won't be a problem, Nagi. Let's just say that certain strings have been pulled to see to it that the investigation will show that they killed each other and then the case will quietly be closed forever. Virtually every one of the dead that are identifiable had a sufficiently horrible criminal record that no one will miss them which indirectly indicts the ones that are left."

"Why did you say that, Manx?" Yohji asked not recalling the details of the slaughter they'd left behind that morning to understand fully that some of the bodies were broken apart worse than a challenging jigsaw puzzle and would be nigh impossible to reassemble.

With a shake of her head, the blue-green-eyed woman remarked, "I'd rather not go into it right now, Yohji. I think that Omi needs to sit down and rest a bit as well as be told about Ken's progress, don't you?"

Yohji looked appropriately sorry for keeping the wan young archer on his feet longer than necessary and agreed wholeheartedly, "Absolutely. C'mon, Omiitchi, grab a chair and get comfy." He guided Omi towards a small couch, pleased that Nagi followed along without being asked and he added with concern, "I'll see if one of the nurses can let Dr. Yanagisawa know you're back then get you both some hot coffee or tea to drink. How'd you two get so wet anyway, Nagi?"

The smaller teen shrugged as he sat down on the settee beside his boyfriend and offered, "It's the 'long story' Omi mentioned to Aya-kun on the phone. After you see about getting Omi taken care of, we can discuss it and Ken-kun's status and everything, all right?"

"Sure thing," jade green eyes sparkled with curiosity and then Yohji turned to his own lover and asked, "Aya? Want to give me a hand?"

Aya joined him unquestioningly since he realized that Yohji intended for this to be a chance for Manx to get to know Nagi a little better before things got too stressful. Without much inflection, he asked, "Manx? Can we get you anything?" 

"Coffee, black, thanks," the redheaded woman answered then reached into her purse and handed the taller of the two men a few bills with a smirk, saying, "You seem to forget you don't have your wallet on you, Kudou."

Yohji flashed her a grateful smile and then winked as he remarked before sauntering from the room, "Ah, you underestimate me, my dear Manx! I planned to simply charm the lovely ladies in the cafeteria into providing me with whatever I needed."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Yohji," Manx chuckled softly before sitting down near the two teens and taking a deep breath. Her day had started early that morning with Omi's panicked phone call that Ken was badly injured and possibly dying. Now it was almost noon and she found herself sitting face-to-face with one of the most physically dangerous members of Schwarz intending to try to become friends with the telekinetic boy. She hoped there weren't any other bizarre twists left to face that day, but there was no way to know for certain and she's just do her best to cope with whatever was yet to come.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 9 & 10 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to the people who sent me email after the last four Parts were posted and includes but isn't limited to the following since AOHell is evil and eats my mail regularly: Dragonic Ice, RJ McG, Yanagi-sen, Ami-chan, Rubious, Ryoko, Seiya-chan and her sister, Sakura-chan. 

It is also dedicated to all the fabulous folks who are leaving me comments at fanfiction.net! I especially thank those who are leaving me multiple pieces of commentary like Priscilla, e. e., Lemon Princess, DragonSoul, siberian, and Silver Angel! Readers like them are the folks who give me energy to keep struggling forward on this fic and whether they know it or not, they are subtly altering some of what this fic includes. 

For example, I hadn't given a lot of thought to bringing in the other three Schwarz psychics again for awhile, but a certain special person {winks at said person knowing she will recognize a reference to her} asked to see them in the story again and so it will be done very soon. Also, there're some folks who have taken the time to let me know that they are enjoying the way I'm writing Manx so instead of sending her back to Persia I think she'll stay around for awhile. 

Sound good? I hope so! Want to try to get me to add something else? Just write me a note at fanfiction.net or send it to me directly and I'll ask my muses, okay? No promises on getting everyone's wishes granted, unfortunately, but I'll at least consider it. Um, except for one thing in particular. 

{sweatdrops and looks only a little apologetic since he's not really sorry at all}

The one thing I'm not likely to change any time soon are the cliffhanger endings. I *like* those in other people's stuff and adore them in my own, so they're staying and I hope you'll keep telling me you "hate" me for them, too! 

Time to go get some sleep so I can write/edit/post more soon. Today's ending wasn't much of a cliffhanger so I gotta try hard to make up for it with a better one tomorrow night, ne?

Be Well!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who replaced the "intermission" post at fanfiction.net with Part 9 and is absolutely delighted to have Zania's and DragonSoul's comments about it in there to make those who read all of this in the future go, "Rant? What rant? Intermission? What intermission?!? Enigma! You make me crazy!" arigatou!!!)

Posted 29 January 2002


	11. Worrisome Discoveries

Title: Cold November Rain [part 11/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1130-1200 hours ++

*****

While Manx got to know the Schwarz telekinetic who had captured the heart of the youngest member of Weiss better, another member of the Estet assassin group was becoming irritated and decided to share his misery with a friend.

"Fa~rf," Schuldich singsonged as he dug through the pockets of his fashionable green blazer for the third time with what could only be described as a pout on his otherwise handsome features. "Can you give me a hand with something?"

The amber-eyed Irishman turned from the copy of Plato's "The Republic" in the original non-modernized Greek he'd been reading and asked, "What do you need my assistance with, Schuldich?" He set the leather-bound text aside and waited patiently as the other man stepped away from the coat closet with a frown. [1] 

"My car keys are missing," Schuldich admitted then asked, "Have you seen them anywhere?" 

"Not recently." The Irishman looked mildly intrigued by the mystery and added, "Maybe Crawford sent your car out to be detailed for you again." 

An amused smile crossed the German's face and he remarked, "I doubt that, Farf. He only did it that one time because he spilled coffee in it while his Lexus was getting the brakes repaired."

Farfarello shrugged, rose from the couch and glanced at the spot on the mantle where the German usually left his keys confirming it to be empty, then commented, "It was only a suggestion. Perhaps Nagi borrowed them?"

Schuldich turned to scowl slightly at the Irishman and he wondered if this indicated he was about to slide back into either his usual more relaxed and carefree personality or perhaps his more dangerous psychotic one. Seeing none of the signs of impending madness or even those of a sudden desire to watch mindless daytime television, he remarked, "I doubt that. The last time I saw him, he'd passed out and I put him back to bed to sleep it off. Hell if I know what pushed him over the edge like that, but he certainly wasn't in any condition to commit grand theft auto."

"Really?" Farfarello asked, voice suddenly gaining depth it had lacked earlier as he became concerned for his young friend's well being. "Why did you fail to mention this sooner, Schuldich? I would have wanted to check on him myself."

"I'm sorry," the redhead offered as he tried to come up with an excuse for his omission, "I just didn't think to mention it, Farf. I was distracted by some paperwork Brad left for me to do and as soon as I remembered, all I wanted to do was go out and pick up some of that Chocolate Mousse Pocky Nagi likes when he's not feeling so great. Why don't we go take a peek at him now and see how he's doing, okay?"

The amber-eyed man glared at his friend and remarked pointedly, "If you did not want to tell me something was wrong just say so, Schuldich. Dissembling in this fashion ill suits you. But, yes, I would appreciate a chance to see if Nagi is well or not." 

Chagrin filled emerald green eyes as the German realized that other man wasn't fooled in the least by his quick prevarication and then the two of them made their way quietly down the hall to Nagi's bedroom. 

Tapping on the door quietly before opening it, Schuldich asked the darkness in a whisper, "Chibi? May we come in?" Pushing the door open silently and then gazing into the room noting that the telekinetic wasn't on the bed. Pushing the door open farther, he called in the hopes that perhaps Nagi was simply out of sight for the moment, "Nagi? Where are you?"

Farfarello looked past the redhead's shoulder and commented with a frown, "He does not appear to be here after all, Schuldich. What do you suppose could have occurred that he is no longer present?"

Cursing loudly in several languages, the green-eyed man strode into the room and began looking for clues to the whereabouts of his young friend, answering, "Damned if I know, Farf! Shit, his school books are still here so I guess he didn't just get up and go to class but where the hell could he be?!"

"I have no idea," the Irishman stated as he, too, began seeking answers by reactivating the computer screen with a shake of the mouse yet finding only the usual "Gundam Wing" wallpaper that featured a rather striking image of all five pilots posed together in sleek black flightsuits. With a few keystrokes he reopened the previously minimized screens from word processing as well as Internet accounts and shook his head. Short-cropped hair barely moved as he added, "There is nothing here to indicate what he was even working on the last time he accessed this machine. That is not like him, he often leaves me notes here yet it is blank. What could he be hiding?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Schuldich growled before recalling his lover's earlier warnings about them not interfering with whatever the Japanese youth would do following his earlier collapse. Scowling at his one-eyed teammate he remarked, "I'm going to ask Crawford. Maybe he knows something."

Farfarello merely nodded his endorsement of the idea and then proceeded to search Nagi's closet for anything to indicate where the boy might be based on his apparel selections.

Not bothering to say anything else to the other man in the room, the telepath sent a message to the leader of Schwarz glad that they could communicate this way so easily in emergencies, {{Brad? We've got a problem.}}

Sitting in an expensive restaurant in the Ginza district with a heavyset businessman who was looking for bodyguards to protect him during an anticipated conflict with a group of employees the man had unwisely embezzled money from, Crawford answered with a mental sigh, {{What is it now, Schu? I'm in the middle of trying to negotiate a contract.}}

The flame-haired man sent back an angry surge of emotion that held a ribbon of fear within it as he answered hotly, {{Fuck that, Bradley! Nagi's gone and we have no idea where he went! My car keys are gone, so it's a safe bet he has the Ferrari, too.}}

Shocked by the fact that his vision was already come to fruition, the American uncharacteristically excused himself from the presence of his portly dining companion and strolled to a window overlooking the busy streets and pretended to talk on his cell phone as he asked, {{When did he leave, Schu? I know I said we can't interfere with his destiny at this point, but this seems too sudden.}}

Schuldich ran a hand through his hair, annoyed with himself for leaving his yellow scarf and sunglasses off a change since it meant the orange-red mass was in his eyes as he answered, {{I'm not sure. I was busy in your office with that report you gave me to annotate so for all I know, he could've left any time since you did. Farf hasn't seen him either and we're searching his room for clues as to what happened. I'm really worried.}}

Crawford sent back a feeling of reassurance and a promise to cut his business lunch short and return as soon as possible even as he stated firmly, {{Calm down, Schu. Like I said before, if we do anything to disrupt his following his own path this time, Prodigy will leave Schwarz and thereby destroy the future you and I have struggled to build for us all. Simply leave his things alone and await his return.}}

Farfarello glanced at his friend and wondered why the telepath was leaving him out of the conversation with the other man but didn't question it, he trusted his teammates enough to know they would do what was necessary. He did, however, decide to quietly mention aloud, "He took his winter coat, Schuldich, but nothing else out of the ordinary. I doubt that he has gone far."

"That's good to know," the German smile wryly at him and added, "Thanks, Farf." 

Having been sent the same information via their mental link, Crawford added a sense of comprehension and sent, {{He's most likely still in the city, then. We'll just have to be patient.}}

Schuldich groaned in frustration. He absolutely loathed, hated, and despised being held back from going in search of the youngest member of Schwarz Crawford's warnings alone being all that had kept him from already sending even the tiniest mental probe in search of the boy. Forcing himself to accept the situation as being something he couldn't change he complained bitterly, {{Damn it, are you *sure* we can't go after him, Brad? Or maybe just do a little scanning to make sure he's okay? This is driving me nuts!}}

{{I understand that you're feeling frustrated, Schu, but you absolutely must *not* do anything to cause him to turn away from us.}} The brown-eyed man rubbed the bridge of his nose as his headache resurfaced and he reminded himself to continue to act as if he were talking to the inoperative cell phone in his hand. With a sigh that was both mental and physical, he added, {{Let me take care of business here and I'll be back shortly. Just stay there in case he does come back soon. My vision said nothing about when that might be and if it makes you feel better to know you'll be waiting for him, then it might help.}}

{{All right,}} the green-eyed man groused disconsolately, then smirked at the Irishman who stood calmly awaiting word from their leader and he added in a lighter tone, {{Can you bring me and Farf back some dessert? If we're going to be stuck here on guard duty we might as well have something to look forward to later.}}

Crawford chuckled slightly and nodded, unwittingly increasing the veracity of his acting regarding the faux phone call and asked, {{What kind do you want, Schu?}}

{{Are you at that European place you usually go to when you're trying to really gouge some poor asshole?}} Schuldich asked eagerly, giving Farf a thumbs up signal the other man failed to understand.

{{Yes,}} the precog responded and glanced at the dessert tray as a tuxedoed waiter carried it past him, relaying the image directly to his lover's mind and simply awaiting the anticipated response.

{{Boo-yeah!}} Schuldich crowed in delight, quoting one of Farfarello's favorite Disney movies for when he was recovering from a particularly difficult period in the emotional hell he fell into at times. [2] {{They have Schwarzwälderkirschtorte today, my favorite!!}}

The almost gentle expression that crossed the former boxer's face would have shocked his superiors at Estet, the people there having been convinced by the American's highly developed ability to project the image of being a cold-hearted bastard all the time. Yet deep beneath the double-breasted, perfectly tailored suit beat the heart of a man who had survived much through guile and was now using those skills to protect not only his lover and himself but also the two younger assassins he was responsible for. Crawford had no idea when he'd come to care so much for either the Irishman or the small Japanese psychic, but now that he did, he would see to it that they had the future they deserved if he could help them to attain it. 

Without realizing he was smiling, the black-haired man answered with mock-annoyance, {{Very well, one order of Black Forest Cherry Cake for you. But what about something for Farfarello? I think I saw an approximation of Devil's Food cake, I guess that might work?}} The questioning tone in the second sentence was more one to indicate that he needed guidance than anything else since the amber-eyed assassin's tastes shifted with his mood as much as everything else did.

The German thought it over for a brief moment then answered, {{No, he's in one of his ultra-lucid states and he usually doesn't want chocolate then. How about this?}} He sent back an image of a dessert that resembled a crème brûlée that looked too sophisticated even for himself which was saying quite a bit, the man considered himself a gourmet four days out of five. Of course, on the fifth day, he preferred cheap Australian beer, deep dish pizza swimming with anchovies, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with Oreo Double-Stuff cookies for dessert so it was a conditional statement.

Crawford made a note of the request then commented, {{I've got it. I need to go finish with the client. I'll be back as soon as I can.}} His message paused as he added the mental equivalent of an encouraging caress then he concluded with a final warning, {{Remember. Stay put and don't make Nagi's life a living hell with a million questions if he comes home before I get back. Give me a chance to see if the visions will reveal anything about how best to handle it, understand?}}

Schuldich sent the image of himself giving the man a stiff-armed salute with the highly insulted comment, {{Shit, Brad, you don't need to go all nazi on me over this! I understand, it's just that I'm worried about the kid, that's all.}}

{{We all are, Schu,}} the brown-eyed man sent back with an unhappy level of certainty that this wouldn't be an issue and they'd be lucky to see the dark-eyed boy before the next time Schwarz was called to duty. {{I'll be home soon.}}

Schuldich felt the other man partially raise his mental shields even as he put away the cell phone he'd just used as a prop and returned to the table where a now very nervous businessman awaited him. Then turned to the Irishman who was regarding him with his eyebrow raised in curiosity and said, "Crawford says for us to 'stay put and be patient', Farf."

The other man simply nodded as if this wasn't a surprise at all then asked, "So? Are you planning to tell me what the thumbs up sign was for or shall I simply await whatever strangeness it implied?"

Chuckling warmly and leading the way out of the telekinetic's bedroom, the long-haired man shook his head and shrugged elegantly, "No, I'm not *that* evil! It's just that Brad's down at the Café Europa and he's bringing us dessert."

"Ah, very good," Farfarello nodded and dropped the subject entirely, preferring to return to the philosophical reading material he'd left behind earlier and not wishing to allow himself to dwell on the topic of Nagi's absence. The Irishman continued to be concerned about the telekinetic's situation yet was accustomed to being left uninformed by his teammates of matters they felt didn't involve him. 

Neither Farfarello nor Schuldich would see the youngest member of Schwarz again for some time and by the time he did return, they would be so pleased to see him that many of their current concerns and questions would be far from their minds.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Apologies to anyone that wanted Farfarello to "sound" Irish here since I'm not familiar enough with natural-born children of Eire to not do them a disservice by using common dialect tricks like substituting "ye" for "you", etc. The same can be said for Schuldich and his lack of an accent here. Then again, I can also point to the fact that they are in Tokyo and are probably speaking Japanese most of the time. As for Crawford, well, he's American like I am so that's not a problem, ne?

[2] A reference to the delightful movie "The Emperor's New Groove", a favorite at the Casa de Llama for obvious reasons! 

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 11 & 12 will be posted together. 


	12. Drastic Changes

Title: Cold November Rain [part 12/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1330-1400 hours ++

*****

An hour and a half passed for the understandably worried occupants of the surgical waiting room with relatively little change.

Dr. Yanagisawa had indeed come shortly after being notified that Omi had returned and had gently chastised the boy for his ill-advised flight from the hospital yet didn't press the issue much past an insistence that teen promise to rest and get something to eat soon. He also took exception with the youngest member of Weiss' claim that the cold damp scrubs he was wearing were still acceptable and sent an orderly with new ones for him as well some for Nagi shortly after leaving the room. 

For his part, Nagi felt quite amazed at the way the four Kritiker agents had welcomed him into their presence without reservation and saw to it that he was well taken care of instead of simply being dismissed from them after completing his "mission". The way Manx had sat and talked comfortably with him was unexpected, yet after getting to know the woman better, he realized that she only had Omi's best interests in mind. 

The redheaded woman had watched like a hawk when the youngest member of Weiss had spoken with the doctor and duly noted the protective presence of the telekinetic had never wavered. In that moment she accepted fully that the two teenagers were as dedicated to one another as Aya and Yohji had claimed earlier, yet she wondered how she would explain this to Persia and whether or not the man would condone her own encouragement of the young lovers.

As time passed in the tense room, the two eldest Weiss assassins had repeatedly stepped outside to share the intermittent sunshine that was trying to force its way through the stubborn cloud cover as well as to silently offer one another their own version of emotional support. 

To anyone who casually passed by the smoking area, it might not even have appeared as if the two men even knew each other, the silence between them was so profound. However, each time Yohji sighed deeply and reached miserably for yet another cigarette, concerned violet eyes would immediately capture worried jade ones and somehow convey hope or at least resolution to not give in to the despair. In turn, when Aya would lean against the wall, eyes closed, and arms crossed over his chest for the moment too long, the lanky blond would shift in place or some other small thing that would distract him long enough to open his eyes and receive the same unspoken reassurance. It was an intricate dance they performed, but it helped them through one of the hardest days of their lives.

The cerulean-eyed boy was uncharacteristically quiet, too, but it was because of obedience to the instructions he'd been given and not a show of what he really felt like doing which would have been to pace like a caged tiger and possibly talk at length just to distract himself. Instead, he contented himself with sitting as close to Nagi as he felt the other boy would allow him to in public and simply prayed to any god that might be listening for Ken's safe passage through the surgery.

The smaller boy had surprised him at one point by asking quietly, "Do you think Aya-kun and Yohji-kun are all right, Omi-koi?" His gaze was directed towards the glass door to the smoking area and he had a pensive look on his face that had previously been reserved for his teammates in Schwarz or his boyfriend alone and it warmed Omi's heart to see it there on behalf of his teammates.

With a sad smile, the blond nodded and answered, "Yes, Nagi-love, they're just really worried about Ken-kun, same as us. They just have a weird way of showing it, that's all."

A small scowl crossed the telekinetic's face as Yohji reached for his third cigarette in less than ten minutes and he asked, "Does he always smoke so much when he's worried? I remember him usually having one or two cigarettes when I'm at your place, but this is worse than I'd expected." 

Even as Nagi expressed his concern, Aya's pale hand gently took the white cylinder from between his lover's lips and placed it behind his own ear with an expression that told the taller man to wait and collect it from him later if he dared. The scowl on Nagi's face was replaced with a shy smile as he amended, "Oh, never mind, I guess I wasn't the only one wondering about that."

Omi had glanced outside quickly enough to catch the rare overt act of love the swordsman had performed and he smiled with relief before saying, "It'll be all right. I know those two haven't said more than five words to each other since they went out there a half-hour ago, but they don't need to speak to communicate. If Aya-kun hadn't stopped him we might need to worry, but I think it's okay now." Turning to glance at the clock on the wall he frowned and said, "But you know, it seems like it's been an awfully long time since the doctors have told us anything about Ken-kun. I wish we knew how it was going in the operating room."

"I agree," Nagi frowned and turned to Manx who was walking back into the room after yet another update call to Persia to see a look of satisfaction on the woman's face. He respectfully asked, "Manx? Is there news about Ken-kun?"

"No," she shook her head and sent red curls bouncing across her shoulders as she strode to the glass door to the smoking area, opened it and said, "Balinese, Abyssinian, come inside. There's something I need to tell you and Bombay."

The use of the code-names indicated there was Kritiker business to discuss and Nagi rose to his feet, politely offering, "I think I'll take a walk in the corridor for a few minutes, Omi. I think I probably shouldn't hear this."

Omi looked wounded and started to reach out a hand to draw back the boy who had stayed faithfully beside him since their dramatic reunion at the bridge, yet it was Manx herself who stopped him from leaving by saying, "That won't be necessary, Nagi. You'd know about this practically before I was done telling them anyway. Besides, if anyone has earned the right to be included in any news that affects Weiss at this point it's you."

The young telekinetic might have blushed if he'd been a more emotional individual, instead, he paused, regarded her was if uncertain and then moved to reclaim his position next to the boy he loved, allowing Omi to capture his hand without protest, reestablishing the physical contact he'd missed.

"What's up, Manx?" Yohji asked as he and Aya entered the room in time to catch the brief exchange between the Kritiker agent and the Schwarz assassin. The scarlet-haired man seemed curious yet said nothing, trusting his lover to handle the verbal conversation even as he pondered the nonverbal one going on between the two boys on the couch.

"I have news about Weiss that will most likely affect Nagi as well and I feel he ought to know about it from the very beginning," the woman said mysteriously yet with a touch of sadness she couldn't suppress despite her best efforts.

For the briefest of moments, Aya wondered if it was wise that an enemy agent would be present for what was obviously a formal meeting between Weiss and their contact from Kritiker. However, almost immediately he discarded that thought as irrelevant. If they could trust the Schwarz psychic to protect the safety of their youngest teammate the way that Nagi had done earlier that day, then they could trust him with anything. The violet-eyed man remained silent and awaited the unveiling of the next shift in their lives' directions.

Yohji smiled grimly as he agreed, "I'd say that sounds fair to me, Manx. As far as I'm concerned, he's as much a part of the team now as he can be without us giving him a cute little kitty-cat code-name." The man saw a look of surprise cross midnight and cerulean blue eyes and he cast the young lovers on the couch a look that practically challenged them to disagree so they could hear him speak at length on his now extraordinarily high opinion of Nagi. The two boys, however, said nothing so he simply turned his focus to the woman and waited for the promised information.

"Well, I wouldn't go quite *that* far," Manx blinked in amazement as she disagreed yet didn't pursue the issue, preferring to address the actual matter at hand instead of putting things off any longer. She looked at the four young men and then stated, "As of right now, Weiss is being placed on Kritiker's inactive list. Regardless of the outcome of Siberian's surgery, this team won't be at fighting strength for quite awhile and it's been decided to suspend its operations until further notice."

"But, Manx," Omi asked with a frown, "what about that new case you gave me yesterday that you wanted me to start data-hunting on as soon as this one was closed? The one about that money-laundering scheme in Shibuya?" He frankly couldn't care less about the criminals involved in what should have been a routine police matter, he simply wanted to remind her that he had an assignment that he would be overlooking if they were truly being deactivated.

"That's not a problem, Bombay," she smirked and watched Yohji for a reaction as she explained, "Grün's going to be covering that one." [1] 

"What the fuck?!" The eldest member of Weiss nearly exploded and didn't appreciate the way that the woman smirked at him as he stated flatly, "No way in *hell* are those amateurs anywhere *near* ready to be activated yet! Calico is an arrogant bastard with no discipline whatsoever and an ego bigger than my own! You can't *possibly* think of sending them into action the way they are right now!"

"Yes she can," Aya stated unexpectedly, giving Yohji a meaningful look before adding with sadness, "Face it, Balinese, we're a man short right now if not worse and there's nothing we can do about it. But why did you want Nagi to know about that, Manx? No disrespect intended to him, but I fail to see why you wanted him here while we talked about it since I rather doubt he needed to know you were developing a new set of operatives and now he does."

Nagi spoke up and agreed, "I was wondering some of the same things myself. Um, is this a less than subtle hint that you want me to find out about the situation in Shibuya and see what Schwarz can do to either shut them down or interfere with their operations?" He shook his head as he considered this and found it highly unlikely, so he added, "I don't think I can do that without making Oracle ask an awful lot of questions I'd prefer not to answer."

"Of course not, Nagi." Manx hurried to explain, "First, of course, I wanted you to know that Omi wouldn't be sent on any missions for awhile which is something I thought you might appreciate having my personal guarantee on. There's no way to know for how long at this point, a great deal depends on Siberian's condition, but I think this entire group needs some 'downtime' regardless." 

There were several nods of agreement even as she continued, "Second, regarding Grün, well, let's just say that I don't see them remaining a closely guarded secret much longer. Even if you hadn't heard it from me, Schwarz would've discovered them soon anyway so it's not a problem. On the other hand, the Shibuya matter hadn't crossed my mind until Omi mentioned it but I don't really care. They were more of a nuisance than a true threat, so if Grün's data analyst isn't up to task the way Weiss' would've been, no loss."

The four men had listened with expressions of interest and it was all she could do to keep explaining her intentions without asking what they thought so far. After drawing a breath, she finished by saying, "Lastly, though, and perhaps the main reason I wanted you to know was that along with the temporary deactivation of Weiss, I had also spoken to Persia on your behalf."

Omi gasped audibly in shock and fear, he'd dreaded letting the mysterious leader of Kritiker discover the truth behind the way he handled confrontations with Schwarz differently at this point than he had earlier in his career with Weiss. However, Manx knew that she wasn't the only operative Persia had whose objectives included monitoring the residents of the Koneko no Sumu Ie and she had wondered how much longer the secret would've been hidden from her boss. But like Yohji, she had been greatly impressed by Nagi's faithfulness and the risk he'd taken by publicly displaying his talents when he'd used them to prevent Omi's untimely death earlier that day. She doubted that Persia's disapproval would've done anything other than make the youngest member of Weiss feel miserable and conflicted, hence she'd taken the bull by the horns and forced a decision.

"Wh-what did he say?" Nagi stammered nervously, afraid that under the best case scenario he'd be warned to stay away from Omi and at worst case both of them might be hunted down and executed for daring to fraternize across team lines. Frightened midnight blue eyes darted towards equally terrified cerulean ones and they clasped hands more firmly, awaiting the answer.

Manx smiled reassuringly at the distraught youth then answered, "Well, he isn't thrilled about it, of course, but as expected, I wasn't the first person to report it. In fact, if he'd had an extreme dislike of the idea of the two of you being together, he'd have done something about it before now. However, he's willing to agree not to interfere at this point as long as Omi plans to come to see him and talk it over in the near future." She turned ocean-green eyes towards the Weiss tactician and asked, "Do you think you can do that, Omi? Come with me someday for a meeting with him to talk this over? You know he only wants what's best for you."

Relieved that he wasn't being told to leave and never set foot near Omi again, Nagi gave his boyfriend's hand a comforting squeeze and kept silent, at this point it was up to the cerulean-eyed youth to make his own choices. 

Omi glanced at Nagi and then turned and nodded slowly, "All right, Manx, I'll do that, but can it wait for awhile? I don't want to worry about that until I'm sure that Ken-kun's going to be okay." 

"I understand," the woman agreed and looked at the pair sitting so close together on the couch, earnest faces filled with love and concern for one another.

The redheaded woman most likely would have said more, but the door to the waiting room suddenly swung open and the bloodstained figure of Dr. Egami stood in the opening for a moment then walked towards a chair and collapsed into it with an exhausted sigh. 

"Doctor?!" Manx cried out as the two youths on the couch sprang to their feet and all five worried people moved to form a semi-circle around the man's chair and she asked, "What is it?! What's happened?"

Running a freshly ungloved hand through sweat-dampened salt-and-pepper hair, the man failed to lift eyes weary with fatigue. The surgeon merely shook his head tiredly and remarked simply, "It's over." Sighing as his eyes slid shut briefly, he added, "It's all over."

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Grün is German for "green" and, yes, I *am* playing fast and loose with the series by introducing a new group of assassins to the mix, aren't I? Melpomene asked me to mention that the color chosen for them *does* have meaning and with a bit of encouragement, she'd love to introduce you to four new bishounen that can add to the angst in this continuity in a rather spectacular fashion if it's desired. Will they be friend or foe, *that* is the big question and if she thinks about it much longer, you can bet they'll change both Weiss' *and* Schwarz's destinies more than you might suspect!

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 11 & 12 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to the folks who found time to send me some much needed words of encouragement after last night's reopening of the Angst Theatre! Thanks and Pocky go to Rubious, Ryoko, bearilou, Ami-chan, Yanagi-sen, Yasmin M, plus a TON of way cool people at fanfiction.net! 

By the way, allow me to say publicly that I'm positively *thrilled* by the great response to the fic there!! I've got to admit that the feedback I'm getting there is *really* a driving force that helps me get these parts out even on a night like this one where I'd ordinarily go hide in someone else's stories for awhile and let Melpomene rest. However, since there's some wonderful folks who are desperate to see what's going to happen next, I'll keep being a slave driver and make that angst muse of mine come up with endings like she did for this posting run. After all, since e.e enjoys my cliffhangers I ought to oblige with one as quickly as possible, ne? Then again, darling bearilou *doesn't* like them so maybe I should've explained what the surgeon meant more clearly tonight instead of ending it there, ne?! Oh my, what a painful dilemma! 

{mock-screams in horror and then chuckles and sticks with cliffhanger endings gleefully before going to sleep for awhile}

Hope to see here at Angst Theatre again very soon! 

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is now officially labeling himself a cad for not getting thank you notes out to people who are writing him directly but if it's do that OR write/edit/post more fic he thinks he ought to stick with that instead. what do *you* think? {wanders off worrying too much since it's late and his mind's fuzzy now})

Posted 30 January 2002 ~3:30am EST


	13. The Painful Prognosis

Attention Fanfiction.net Friends:

Many thanks for the wonderful words of praise--and delightful death threats!--you've left me here and at my email address! I love them all!!!

You really know how to make a writer feel loved when you indicate that his works can cause such a strong emotional reaction! I'm more than pleased to see a total of 76 comments here so far and I wanted to mention that I've read each and every one of them and that they made me feel strong enough to keep working tonight when I felt the need for sleep almost overtake me! In fact, it made me feel *so* strong, I wandered back to the rough draft and played around with it a little and worked out another new wrinkle that I wanted to insert somewhere. Ah, the joys of *never* releasing something as a rough draft when revisions allows one to add foreshadowing!!

{stops being genki over his plot devices and drops into serious warning mode in the hopes of sparing a few kind souls from unexpected pain and sorrow}

Before I turn you loose on tonight's posting run, may I please mention a warning that is embedded in the opening of this Part that might get overlooked by those who are in a hurry? The GW community used to call these a "Kleenex warning" back when I used to write sorrow for Duo Maxwell & Company and I'm afraid that it was appropriate to add one here, too, not only for what you are about to read but for a few parts in the future. I hadn't realized these were "tearjerker" scenes until I asked a friend to look over them and she got upset and told me she hated me for making poor Kenken suffer so much and that I ought to be ashamed of myself. But she immediately forgave me and said it was such good angst that she was glad to read it and that I ought to simply add this warning and leave it at that, so here you go. Two warnings are even better, right?

{shakes head at the level of angst in this posting run and thinks Melpomene must have bought stock in Kimberly-Clark to create these heart wrenching, facial-tissue-demanding scenes and then willingly sharing them with so many nice anime fans who never did a thing to hurt anyone}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who didn't really *mean* to make his friend so upset but she said that the tears were worth it and the story runs unchanged so you can judge for yourself)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 13/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

Special Notes: The medical information included in this story is accurate to the best of the author's knowledge which was gained primarily through personal experience with some supplementary information from research in layman's texts on the matters at hand. I'm not a doctor, neither do I pretend to be one, but I've spent more hours inside hospitals, ERs, ORs, ICUs, CCUs, and labs to know more than I care to and this is the fruit of that knowledge. I have no intention of delineating which specific incidents in my life and that of my family has given rise to certain knowledge, however, I can at least reassure that it wasn't all gained at once the way it's being presented here, and for that, I am grateful.

Also, if reading a realistic discussion of severe injuries like Ken's are in this story upsets you, allow me to recommend a box of tissues be kept close at hand as you read this as well as several fairly intense scenes to come. The shooting was only the beginning.

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1400-1430 hours ++

*****

"What the hell do you mean 'it's over'?!?" Yohji practically screamed, lunging forward as if to grab the man by the lapels again, threatening Egami with bodily injury if he didn't get the answers he wanted to hear.

"Nani?" The exhausted surgeon asked in confusion as he looked up into jade eyes raging with an inhuman anger and fury directed at him much the way the same power had been leveled at the criminals who died within the illegal drug operation mere hours prior. Gazing at Nagi whose eyes were suddenly a much deeper blue as he exerted his powers to restrain the wire-wielding assassin from acting prematurely, the man asked, "Didn't you ask me if the operation was finished? Because it is. Like I said, it's all over."

"Calm down, Yohji!" Aya commanded, voice uncharacteristically pleading as he realized that the way his powerful lover was struggling he was endangering himself as well as the diminutive telekinetic. Confusion, anger, hope, sorrow, and pain filled violet eyes as he turned towards the doctor and demanded, "Explain yourself, Egami! What *precisely* do you mean 'it's over'?!"

The physician looked baffled for a moment, he was accustomed to words like those being greeted with more positive reactions, then realized they'd come to the wrong conclusion. "No, no, you don't understand!" He raised both hands in front of himself as if to ask for clemency and rushed to say, "My team is completing the closure process right now and then your friend will go to the recovery room before being transferred to the ICU."

"Then Ken-kun's going to be okay?" Omi asked eagerly, barely aware of the struggle his boyfriend was experiencing until Yohji stopped fighting his invisible shield and Nagi slumped against the Weiss archer's side, temporarily tired from the effort of halting a runaway Balinese in his tracks. 

"I didn't say that." The doctor frowned and then explained, "As I told you earlier, the entire procedure was touch and go. We had quite a few challenges from the very beginning simply due to the massive amount of damage that bullet holes in the torso can cause as well as the resulting catastrophic blood loss they caused. His systems were severely stressed and the hospital's lack of type B blood was a problem, too." He glanced at Omi and added, "By the way, young man, I understand that you are the one responsible for the tourniquets being applied to the arm and leg injuries, is this correct?"

Cerulean eyes were moist with unshed tears as Omi nodded, "Yes, that was me. I guess they didn't really help as much as I thought they would, but--"

His words were silenced by Egami interrupting to insist, "Far from it! In fact, I think without those injuries being isolated from the remainder of the vascular system, he would've bled to death before he ever even *got* to the hospital in the first place! No, it was indeed a most commendable effort and I wanted to thank you for it. We wouldn't even have had the last eight hours to try to repair the damage without that initial treatment and your friends mentioned that you might want to know."

"Thank you," Omi responded in a small voice and looked at Aya and Yohji before saying, "I'm glad it helped a little, but what about everything else? Why didn't you say he'd be all right, Dr. Egami?"

The other two Weiss assassins each spared the boy his own version of encouragement as the elder blond smiled sadly and the scarlet-haired man gave him a solemn nod before everyone returned their attention to the surgeon.

"Well, it's too early to say we found absolutely everything, we're waiting on some tests from the lab," the doctor spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words to avoid another misunderstanding such as the one about the surgery being over, "but we believe we found the vast majority. The punctured lung was fairly straightforward to repair but the same bullet disturbed the lining of the heart. We've put some protective stitches in place and will monitor it as it heals, though, so we're hopeful." The man wisely refrained from saying how many of the claw-wielding assassin's ribs had had to be cut free of his sternum and wrenched open to make these repairs, the added damage being unavoidable and he felt it could wait. 

Taking a breath and mentally reviewing the other wounds, he continued, "Then there were the injuries to the extremities. The compound fracture in the left arm probably looked worse than it really was with the bone protruding like that, but it was the blood loss from a severed artery that was the greater issue there. That's been repaired as best we could, plenty of sutures at many levels of tissue, but he'll be wearing a cast on it for quite some time. The leg was a simpler matter. The bullet ripped through multiple layers of muscle tissue at an oblique angle and succeeded in tearing it up fairly badly, but again other than sutures there wasn't much we could do about it and now it's bound in some fairly substantial bandages that will need to be replaced often. He'll most likely experience a fairly radical reduction in muscle mass in both areas, so he'll be looking at several months of rehab, probably."

For the former athlete, the physical therapy would undoubtedly be frustrating, however Ken would have a greater appreciation for the benefits of obeying the rules and restrictions placed on him if he ever wanted to be able to run and play soccer with the neighborhood team he coached. 

Seeing most of those listening nodding or otherwise indicating they understood, Egami moved to the worst areas of injury, beginning with a warning, "The next part that I need to discuss with you may not make a lot of sense at first, but hear me out. The patient was shot twice in the abdomen and, unfortunately, both of his kidneys were injured because of it. One was irretrievably damaged and we had to remove it entirely. It left us with quite a bit of free matter loose in the abdominal cavity, but we think we got all of it. The other one, though, we felt we could repair, so we did our best. If it regains full function, he should be able to live on it alone for the rest of his life without too much trouble. If, however, it fails to heal fully, he will be added to the roster of those needing an organ donation and place him on routine dialysis."

"How soon could he get a new kidney if one was needed, doctor?" Omi asked, recalling his biology teacher talking to his class about how so few people in Japan seemed willing to sign-up to be organ donors and urging them all to think about it. [1] 

Egami shook his head sadly, "There's no way to say, I'm afraid. His blood type is fairly unusual to begin with and then there are other tissue-match issues to contend with. Unless he has relatives that are willing to consider it? A brother or a sister perhaps?" He looked almost hopeful as he glanced at the group.

"No, he has no one but us, doctor," Yohji stated darkly, realizing that was the truth for all of them except Aya to the best of his knowledge. The lack of blood relatives for the members of Weiss had never meant more than the absence of the emotional support system most people took for granted. However, now that this issue had arisen he was aware of the fact that certain things might be more difficult or even impossible because of it. 

The doctor nodded as if this was the answer he'd expected, "So I see. Well, in that case, I'm afraid there's no way to predict, but it would most likely be a period of years if ever at all. There's simply not enough organs donated to meet the need and then there's the transport time involved in getting an organ to a recipient while it's still viable. It's regrettable, but to be entirely realistic, I'd have to say it probably wouldn't happen at all."

"Which means he's looking at a lifetime of dialysis with the eventual collapse of most of his bodily functions followed by death, ne?" Nagi's softly growled statement echoed the depth of feeling he had developed for the chocolate-eyed teen as he grew to care for those whom his boyfriend thought of as brothers. With an angry glare at the man, he added, "That is *not* acceptable!"

"Take it easy, Nagi," Omi urged, sensing a useless and potentially dangerous build-up of the telekinetic's powers even though there wasn't a clear target. "This is *only* a possibility, love. Dr. Egami said the other kidney might heal just fine, let's give it a chance. Please? Why are you so upset about it, anyway?" 

Shaken from his sudden anger, the psychic automatically released the power that had threatened to unleash itself randomly, then turned remorseful eyes on his lover and he explained, "I had a friend from school a few years ago who got hurt in a car wreck. He lost both his kidneys right at the start, but they denied him a transplant because he had some rare genetic disorder that everyone assumed he'd die from before he was 30 anyway." 

The sable-haired youth's voice lost some of its strength and Manx found herself straining to hear as he continued, "Well, as you can probably imagine, he didn't have much of a life after that. At first it was only a couple days a week at the dialysis center. Then it was more often as well as home dialysis treatments that were pretty horrible as I found out when I dropped by with his homework one day. Then he ended up in the hospital as it just got to be too much for him. He died before he turned thirteen." Teardrops he hadn't felt forming glimmered in the corners of midnight blue eyes as Nagi added emphatically, "We can't let that happen to Ken-kun! We just can't!!"

"Of course we won't, Nagi," Aya's smooth deep voice agreed unexpectedly, his warm hand coming to rest on the distraught boy's shoulder as he looked him in the eye and said, "Trust us, Nagi. Ken is more special than you can imagine and if we thought he might truly suffer that much, Yohji and I would do something to see that it didn't happen, wouldn't we, Yohji?" He gazed at his elder lover and amethyst eyes held a mixture of compassion for the boy he was touching and deep, abiding love for the one he loved who was hopefully recovering from surgery at that very moment. 

Emerald eyes blinked with surprise at the swordsman's atypical show of emotion and then Yohji nodded confidently, "You bet, Aya!" He sobered slightly and added, "It's true, Nagi. I've got no clue what Aya's got in mind for a worst case scenario here, but we won't let Ken suffer like that without a fight. Okay?"

Nagi swiped the teardrops from his eyes with an annoyed hand and regarded both of the elder members of Weiss with gratitude. He wondered how to thank them for agreeing to protect a member of the adopted family he seemed to be building among the florist/assassins, but his words weren't necessary as Omi turned to him and offered, "It'll be okay, love, you'll see. They love him. We love him. Ken won't go anywhere without us, I'm sure of it." His gentle words would've ended with a kiss had there not been both Manx and the doctor present, but as it was, he simply smiled and hoped it would be enough.

The physician then cleared his throat nervously and spoke with trepidation, having left the worst for last as most doctors tended to do when they felt out of their league with a patient's prognosis. "I hate to add to your concerns, of course, but I hadn't completed my debriefing of the patient's condition. There is, I'm afraid, one other matter to discuss."

"There is?" Omi asked in a tired voice, "But you said there were five bullets, right? Two went through his arm and leg, one went into his lung by way of his heart, and two hit his kidneys." Wincing visibly at his own summary, he then asked in anguish, "That makes *five* injuries! How can there be *more* bad news, Dr. Egami?"

"Unfortunately," the man shook his head, hating this aspect of being the leader of an emergency room-based surgical team, "the one which left the second kidney damaged yet not destroyed also disturbed the spinal column during its passage through his body. It caused a certain amount of damage that we had a hard time quantifying and we're uncertain what the outcome of *that* particular injury will be in the future."

Nagi and Omi both looked terrified. 

The three older people who had heard the earlier debriefing mid-procedure had selectively neglected to mention this issue and the two youngest in the room were horribly shocked as they peered at the woman and the two older assassins. 

With a look of sadness, Manx admitted, "We didn't mention this to you two since we had so little to go on. Injuries like this can look so much worse than they truly are, it seemed ill-advised to upset you when we had so little to go on."

Omi nodded sadly. He understood the others' apparent desire to protect himself as well as his boyfriend since they were younger, but it was pointless since they were both hardened killers who had seen the worst that life had to offer already. With a sad sigh, he asked, "So? How bad is it, doctor? Is he going to be paralyzed?"

"We sincerely hope not," the man said earnestly. "We administered a powerful anti-inflammatory agent while we had direct access to the area, then I put on order a thorough course of treatment with more of the same as well as certain measures that are hard to explain. Suffice it to say, we're doing our level best to see to it that if he survives, he *will* walk again."

"That's an awfully big 'if' though, isn't it, doctor?" Manx asked in a soft yet threatening voice. She'd barely kept her own rage in check this entire time and the idea that a virile young man like Ken could be condemned to a lifetime of dialysis while trapped in the confines of a wheelchair made her see red.

"I know," the man hung a salt-and-pepper head and admitted, "The nervous system is a terribly complex mechanism, though. I've seen less damage result in permanent paralysis and far more result in only a mild limp. As always, this relies on luck and faith as well as medical skill, so I'd be lying to claim a greater knowledge of the outcome of that aspect of his injuries than I am."

Finding an inner strength to stand up to the inexplicably powerful woman, he added, "As I told you a few hours ago, he's got the heart of a lion to even survive as long as he has. So much now will rest on his own desire to live as well as whatever you can do to encourage him. If he knows you're here and that you want him to get better, it will help."

"Fine then," Yohji remarked with finality, tired of the man's answers almost all being qualified by one statement or another that implied a lack of control over the situation. "How soon can we go see him? If positive reinforcement is what Ken needs, then we're the ones to give it to him and let's get on with it."

Egami looked up at the resolute blond man and shook his head again, an action that was getting on Yohji's nerves at this point, saying, "I'm afraid that it's standard hospital practice to keep our more at-risk surgery patients off-limits from visitors for at least four to six hours." Seeing the anger returning to the obviously dangerous young men around him he added quickly, "But I've reduced that to two hours for any of the five of you. Why don't you all go get something to eat and plan to meet me back here in a couple of hours? That'll give the recovery room team a chance to get him stabilized and transferred to the ICU before you see him, okay? It'll be better for my staff and better for my patient, too. Do we have a deal?"

The worried friends considered this briefly, then Omi spoke for them all, saying, "All right, we'll do it that way since it sounds like it would be best for Ken-kun. How many visitors are allowed at once? I know it isn't five unless *all* the rules have changed."

Chuckling softly for the first time during the long day, the surgeon replied, "No, it's certainly not 'five', but I think that two is an acceptable number, don't you?" Rising tiredly to his feet, Egami looked forward to getting out of his blood-tainted surgical scrubs and finding a hot cup of coffee to fall into for awhile.

"If that's the best offer you've got, then I guess we take it," Yohji remarked with an unreadable expression on his face. Extending his hand to the doctor, he added, "Thanks for doing your best in there, doctor. If you're right and this is now up to him, then all we gotta do is make sure Ken knows we're still at his side and won't leave him. We'll meet you back here in a couple of hours."

"Great," the physician regarded first Yohji as he shook his hand and then Aya and Manx who followed suit, then Omi and Nagi who had hung back for their own reasons. With an exhausted wave of his hand, the surgeon left them saying, "See you here around five, then."

As the door closed behind him, the remaining individuals embraced and found strength in one another before silently agreeing to leave the room and go to find out what the hospital cafeteria had to offer at this hour. None of them had eaten in far too long and before long they were all quietly eating together and silently sending support to the brunette that they had yet to see after the horrible events of the morning.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] This is a very real problem not only in Japan but also around the world. I urge everyone to consider it not only for themselves but for those they love. "Share Your Life. Share Your Decision." Tell those closest to you what your preferences are while you're still alive and well and make a difficult time easier while possibly granting a miracle to someone in need.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 13 & 14 will be posted together. 


	14. Heart Wrenching Reunion

Title: Cold November Rain [part 14/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1630-1715 hours ++

*****

When Dr. Egami returned to the surgical waiting room as promised, he wasn't surprised to see the five people he'd agreed to meet awaiting him, expressions resolved and determined. Clearing his throat as he walked into the room, he asked, "Did you all get something to eat?"

"Yes, thank you, doctor," Manx answered for all of them before asking, "Is there any news on Ken's condition?"

"Nothing drastic," the surgeon said, relieved that his patient hadn't already died, a possibility that he'd considered too likely all things considered. He looked at each of them and inquired, "Since we can only allow two visitors at a time, who's going first?"

"We are," Yohji stated immediately, glancing at his silent, violet-eyed lover who confirmed it with a nod.

"Oh?" The physician looked startled, he'd expected Yohji and Omi to be the first to see Ken since they had been demonstrating the greatest emotional reactions to the situation. He pointed out, "It'll be another two hours before a second visit will be allowed with only a third one before the ICU is closed to visitors for the night. Are you sure you want to do it that way?"

"Yes," Aya's voice was unexpectedly tense and he glared at the man as if to say he was treading on thin ice to even imply he might be kept from the side of the injured man.

Holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, Egami agreed, "Of course, son, I didn't mean that there was any problem with it, it just surprised me, that's all. Before we go, let me caution not only you two but all of you as to what you will encounter in the ICU."

"We've been in intensive care units before," Omi said with sadness. "I doubt there's any big surprises in store for us, doctor."

"That may well be the case, young man," the physician explained in a slightly annoyed tone, "but unless I miss my guess, none of you has been this badly injured in the past regardless of what you do for Kritiker. There are certain things that you simply must *not* say in the presence of the patient, and being forewarned is being forearmed, hence, I intend to give you some words of caution just the same."

He glanced at them and saw an unneeded look of contrition on the cerulean-eyed boy's face and he regretted the harshness of his words, but they were true and he continued, "First and foremost, your friend looks, to put it simply, quite bad. The surgical procedure was rough and even though his face hadn't been injured initially, by the time everything was over he looked as if it was. There are quite a few catheters, tubes, monitor patches, IVs, and other things attached to him that may seem excessive to a layman's eye, but I assure you each and every one of them is crucial and you mustn't disturb any of them. The monitors are also rather noisy, so if you wish to speak to him--something I urge you to do, by the way--you need to speak as close to his ear as you can get around the apparatuses in the room."

Nagi looked vaguely ill imagining the condition Ken had to be in at the moment and felt worried about how Omi might handle seeing him when it was Omi and Manx's turn to see him next. The Schwarz telekinetic knew he'd not be included in the highly restrictive visitation schedule until the next day and guiltily felt relieved because of it. This whole situation reminded him too much of the death of his school friend as well some of the darker days he'd faced as an Estet trainee since not everyone the mysterious organization recruited had as fine a level of control over their psychic powers as he himself did. 

Arms crossed over his chest in an uncharacteristic show of annoyance, Yohji remarked, "Is that it, doctor, or was there more? We'd *really* like to get to see him now if at all possible, you know." He glanced at the stoic man beside him who shot him an icy amethyst look that concealed Aya's desperation from anyone other than his lover and he added, "Omi's right. We've done this before and even if it does sound worse than what any of us have gone through in the past, I know that Ken needs to know we're here. Unless there's more you feel you really *must* say, let's get going."

Egami sighed and nodded, he'd been glad to have gotten as many warnings in as he could, "All right, follow me." Walking out the door, he added to those they were leaving behind, "While we're gone, someone will escort you to another waiting room you'll be asked to use while visiting a patient in the ICU. That way the staff there can locate you quickly in the event of an emergency, all right?"

"Certainly," Manx agreed, then looked at the two young assassins with her and silently pondered what they might do if Nagi's teammates came looking for him, then decided she wasn't going to worry too much about it. If the precognitive leader of Schwarz had a vision of the petite telekinetic and chose to come after him, there was little or nothing they could do about it in advance anyway. As long as the two boys chose to face the dangers inherent in remaining together until the moment of crisis was passed them as they had stated they did in the cafeteria, then she, Yohji, and Aya would cope as best they could.

As if sensing the woman's thoughts, Nagi turned his head towards her inquiringly and asked, "Manx? Is something wrong?"

The redhead smiled slightly and answered honestly, "Not really, Nagi. I'm glad that you're staying for Omi's sake, that's all."

"But he's here for Ken-kun, too, Manx," Omi interjected and shot a small smile at his boyfriend before adding, "He cares about him, too, you know. Maybe not the same as the rest of us, but Nagi's worried about him, too, aren't you, love?"

Nagi felt his cheeks burn a little at the endearment that the cerulean-eyed youth had used a little too freely in front of the female Kritiker agent, yet answered, "Yes, I am, Omi. He's a good person and I hate to think of him suffering the way he has." His tone turned thoughtful and he added, "I don't know if I can ever imagine Schwarz facing off with Weiss again after this, though. I think that if I saw Farf or Schu pull a knife or a gun on him I might snap and actually fight against my own team directly for the first time." 

The look of confusion and defeat on the young psychic's face was pure torture to his concerned lover, and Omi reached out to draw Nagi's hand into his own and he urged quietly, "Then don't think about it, love." Manx politely rose and went to gaze out the glass door to the smoking area as if the heavy cloud cover that had reasserted itself was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen as the Weiss archer continued, "Remember that we've been deactivated, Nagi-love. It'll be a long time before we're called to duty again and possibly longer still before Ken-kun can join us based on what the doctor told us earlier. Please don't worry about that now, we've still got a lot to get through first as it is."

Nagi peered at Omi with an expression of continued sadness, yet agreed just the same, "I'll try, koi, if it's what you want me to do. And I plan to stay here with you as long as you need me, too." He sighed and let his head rest against Omi's shoulder for a brief moment, the familiar caress of blond hair against his cheek a welcome one.

The room was peaceful for a few minutes as the three left behind to wait each wondered what the other two had discovered when they saw Ken for the first time since the horrors of the morning.

*****

Stopping at the staff desk in the intensive care unit, Egami introduced Aya and Yohji to the doctor in charge and explained that he'd see to it the patient's other visitors would be relocated to the relevant waiting area.

Soon the two Weiss assassins were given protective clothing to wear and they stood outside the only occupied room in the unit with a specially trained nurse at their sides. Looking through the glass window they could barely see their injured lover. Ken was surrounded by equipment most of which beeped and whirred as it kept electronic watch over his condition or fed him the oxygen or fluids that would keep him alive. 

With a sad shake of his shoulder-length blond hair, Yohji remarked to Egami, "We won't be allowed to stay in there with him alone, will we?"

"No, I'm afraid not," the man smiled ruefully as he added, "Remember all those warnings I gave you earlier? Well, something I neglected to mention is that even as beneficial as visitors can be to a patient's health, they can also cause unwanted reactions. Having someone like her here can minimize the danger since she can respond quickly to adjust the equipment or order assistance should it be needed. Right, Nurse Yamanaka?" [1]

The woman smiled encouragingly and answered, "Absolutely, doctor. But don't worry too much about me, you're here to see *him* not me and I won't be listening to anything you wish to say to him directly." Her understanding smile deepened as she added, "I can tell you both care about Hidaka-san a great deal, so I hope you'll make a point of telling *him* that, too, won't you?"

Ordinarily, Yohji might've reacted badly to a stranger implying anything about his relationship with someone, but he wasn't going to apologize to anyone for being in love with the younger man who was currently blanketed by tubes, wires, and sensors. All he wanted to do was get inside the room and somehow get it across to the silent brunette that he was loved and that they wanted him to get better and he didn't care if the world knew it.

Aya, on the other hand, had only recently accepted the ultimate truth about his feelings for the pre-existing couple within Weiss and he found himself at something of a loss, wondering if the nurse thought only Yohji had feelings of that sort for Ken. After all, the trio had been lovers in the physical sense longer than they had been in the emotional sense and it still baffled the swordsman that he was capable of truly loving both men as deeply as he did. 

As one might expect, it was Yohji who responded for them both, saying, "We intend to. Now, can we *please* go inside or do I need to threaten to break down the door? I'm not a very patient man and this is getting on my nerves." 

The nurse's smile broke into a gentle laugh as she nodded and reached for the doorknob commenting, "Now *that* is the level of dedication I wanted to hear! Yes, Kudou-san, please enter and if you and Fujimiya-san can express that to Hidaka-san, we'll all be better off."

"Thank you!" The frustrated blond exclaimed and strode into the small room with Aya close on his heels stopping as close to the head of the hospital bed as he could get. Jade eyes filled with sorrow took in the image of the wounded man and Yohji had to agree that Egami had been right about making them listen to his warnings even if they thought they didn't need to hear them at all. 

Ken looked dead already.

A trembling long-fingered hand lifted and Yohji gently pushed a lock of soft brown hair free of where it had been trapped beneath one of the straps that kept Ken's respirator mask in place. He cautiously caressed the ashen skin of his younger lover for the first time since he had removed the blood-encrusted burgundy trench coat from his shattered body and left him in the doctor's care earlier. The guilt and remorse he'd experienced previously rose up and threatened to overwhelm him and only the voice of his other lover brought him out of his dazed state as Aya said quietly, "We've only got three and a half minutes left, Yohji. We need to talk to him."

Grateful green eyes turned towards heart-wrenchingly worried violet ones, an expression he alone could see, and the taller man nodded, "Right. Sorry about that, I kinda got lost for a minute there."

"I know." Aya's lowered voice carried concern for both of his two partners and he urged, "Go on, tell him how you feel."

Yohji nodded and bent slightly so that his lips were close to Ken's ear and he spoke as if the chocolate-eyed man could hear and respond to him, saying, "Hey there, Kenken. We're here for you, baby. You're doing great and Aya and me can't wait to talk to you, tell you how much we need you to get better and come back to us." 

After drawing a shaky breath, the eldest member of Weiss continued as calmly as he could, "Omi's here, too, and wanted me to tell you that he and Manx are going to come see you soon, okay? I bet you'd be surprised that Nagi's here, too. Funny thing about that kid, the more time he spends hanging around with Omiitchi, the more it seems as if he belongs with us, you know?" 

An amazingly gentle touch on one shoulder reminded him there was someone else who wanted time with the unconscious youth and he finished quickly, earnestly pledging his love and support for the man, "Ken, remember that I love you and come back to me soon, won't you, babe? I'm not any good to anyone when you're not with me, Ken-love." Desperation to make certain his words were understood at whatever level was possible, he went so far as to add a gentle kiss to Ken's unfeeling temple and he offered in a choked whisper, "Gods, I love you, Ken! Don't leave me!"

There were tears in jade eyes as Yohji straightened and stepped back to make room for his companion, the slightly shorter man having overheard only part of what had been said, yet feeling the depth of sorrow in his voice. Forcing himself to focus exclusively on Ken, however, Aya was able to give his own encouragement. "We're here for you, Ken. You're strong and we all know you can make it, so heal quickly and try to let us know you can hear us, all right?"

Uncertain what else to say and acutely aware of the time slipping away, he admitted the painful truth, "Yohji's barely holding it together, Ken, and I'm not much better if the truth was known. But it's Omi who's the worst off right now and we need you to wake up for him if for no other reason." 

The sensation of hot pinpricks in the back of his eyes was ignored as he laid his heart on the line in an atypical show of raw emotion, Aya added, "I hope you know how I feel about you, Ken. It's hard for me to say it since everyone else I ever felt this way about has died or suffered horribly, but damn it all, I *love* you and life without you is worse than life without my family!" 

Unaware his shoulders were trembling until warm hands made themselves known gently massaging and soothing them, Aya turned to see compassion and understanding in his elder lover's jade eyes even as a feminine voice interrupted from across the small room, saying, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave now."

"Yeah, we know," Yohji said and removed his hand from his lover's shoulders, assuming they were unwanted. He was wrong, though, and as he stepped towards the door, he felt the brief caress of a hand made powerful by years of swordsmanship placed firmly between his shoulder blades, reminding him of nights spent in rougher displays of affection. 

Standing by the ICU desk and watching the two men make their way towards the door that would take them back to their friends where the painful job of spreading the news of her patient's condition awaited them, the nurse sadly shook her head. Then she remarked to Egami who had remained in the ICU to leave additional instructions for the care of their newest patient, "It's really heartbreaking, isn't it, doctor?"

"How so?" He asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"They love him so much and his prognosis is so bleak," she sighed again and shook her head. "How long do you *really* think Hidaka-san has?"

"Call him 'Ken', please, it will speed his recovery," the man answered and ran a nervous hand through his salt-and-pepper hair before answering, "In all honesty, I didn't think he'd make it this far in the first place. And if he was anyone other than who *he* is and they were anyone other than who *they* are, I'd say he had a day at the most. However, there's something truly unusual going on here. Whatever power guards and guides these boys is like nothing I've ever seen. Frankly, I wouldn't bet against his having a full recovery, come to think of it." 

His expression was thoughtful as the woman gazed at him a moment more then she shrugged, and remarked, "I've seen more than my share of miracles, mind you, but if I got to see one more just for those three, it would be worth it."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Egami laughed wryly then commented, "My dear, you haven't seen the half of it yet. Wait until the little blond and his boyfriend come through here later tonight or tomorrow. If you think Ken would pull through for the older two you might be in for a surprise. Those two together could bring a dead man back to life!"

"Doctor!" The nurse laughed and chastised the man at the same time. 

The physician merely chuckled and left the room never once contemplating that he just might have been far more right than he could ever begin to imagine.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] The nurse is named after without being based upon the Weiss Kreuz anime series Music Director, Kishow Yamanaka. 

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 13 & 14 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to the eight way-cool people who took the time to send me notes directly to let me know what they thought of Parts 11 & 12! Now, there may have been others and AOHell ate their kind words before I could read them and for that I grieve, but here's the list of those who kept my spirits up tonight and reminded me that there *is* a place in their hearts for angst-ridden bishounen: shadow, Ami-chan (who knows a good llama movie when she sees one!), Portia, Ryoko, Nebula Omega, focsfyr, Yanagi-sen (who would be getting a giftfic for her incredibly wonderful reviews to me if she wasn't already getting one as a present for her new site! she's the best! hmm, wonder if she'd let me run the URL for her site in an endnote here and advertise it sometime?), and Rubious. 

It's also dedicated to all you astoundingly supportive readers at fanfiction.net, too! You're the best and now that I know you like angst, you can bet you'll be getting more soon!

{yawns tiredly and knows it's past time to post this and go to bed, but wants to mention one other little thing before he falls asleep at the keyboard again}

Can you believe we've been at this for over a week now? The parts you've read so far were all written initially between January 2 - 17, 2002, with massive editing each night before they posted. Why am I mentioning this? Because several notes have asked me how I can write so fast and now that I think about it, that doesn't really answer the question but it does help to put it in perspective.

That's it for tonight. Thanks for dropping by the Angst Theatre!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is truly relieved that the readers are enjoying his version of Manx since she can be hard to write convincingly and Farfarello in "ultra-lucid mode" who will sound entirely different in his "normal relaxed mode" as well as his "psychopathic insane killer mode" if those ever get added to this fic or the "Redirecting Destinies" continuity)

Posted 31 January 2002 ~3:00am EST


	15. Waiting, Watching, and Worrying

Title: Cold November Rain [part 15/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1730-1910 hours ++

*****

"So? How was he?!" Omi leapt to his feet as the two elder Weiss assassins walked through the door of the ICU waiting room that would be the team's temporary new home and Nagi rose to stand beside him.

Not answering, Aya kept his head down and found a chair to sink into, apparently lost in thought though actually simply fighting to regain his legendary composure and failing.

Heaving a deep sigh, Yohji shook his head, the rustle of loose blond hair about his face making him wish for one of his usual fabric-covered hairties as he replied, "It's as bad as Egami made it sound, Omiitchi, I'm sorry." Apologetic jade met anguished cerulean and distraught lapis as he added, "If this wasn't Siberian we were dealing with, I doubt we'd still be here. But Ken's as tough a bastard as I am. He'll make it, you'll see, bishounen."

Omi took no reassurance from Yohji's usual nicknames for himself and he might have crumbled if it wasn't for a warm hand hidden behind his back supporting him. With a nod, he turned away from the older man to finally give in to the overwhelming desire to simply bury his face in Nagi's shoulder and stop sniffling back the tears he'd wrestled with all day, whimpering softly, "It's my fault, all my fault!" 

"No! No, it's not," the telekinetic reassured for what seemed like the hundredth time that day and he hesitatingly brought a hand up to caress the shuddering blond head that remained where it was. The psychic lifted a frightened pale face to look at those around him and he mouthed a silent plea for help towards Manx. 

The flame-haired woman shook her head slowly while giving Nagi a look that said more than her silently mouthed answer, "He needs *you*, Nagi. You can do it."

Frustrated, Nagi wanted to know what it was he should do, but without anyone to tell him differently, he chose to ease the two of them into an over-sized chair, using his powers to carefully shift Omi so that the older boy sat in his lap. No longer caring that anyone else was watching, he openly hugged the sobbing youth in an effort to soothe him. Too-slender arms wrapped around the crying teen while soft nonsense words of comfort spilled from his lips. 

The only one still on his feet, Yohji found himself bemused by the two young assassins and it was all he could do to take his eyes off of them long enough to gaze at his own scarlet-haired lover. It was obvious to the older man that the younger one was having trouble with his emotions and in an effort to distract him, he pulled out his already half-empty pack of cigarettes and shook a pair of them free. 

Gesturing with one of the unlit white cylinders, he asked, "Oi, Aya? Want to join me?"

Grief-stricken violet eyes rose to gaze at him as if he'd only barely heard the words, then Aya reached out and took the offered tobacco and said quietly, "Yeah. Where?"

Yohji glanced around suddenly reminded of the fact that they were now in a different waiting room and when he didn't see the familiar glass door, he said with a shrug, "I don't know. Why don't we go ask a nurse or something? I just can't sit inside right now."

Aya's quiet snort of agreement was the closest thing to a verbal answer he got, yet when the slender swordsman rose to follow, Yohji gladly turned and lead the way eventually finding them a small porch only a few meters distant from the waiting room. For quite some time, the two of them sat together in the late afternoon cloudiness sharing silence that held a greater meaning for them than for anyone else in the city of Tokyo as well as most of the rest of the pack of cigarettes.

When they returned to the waiting room, their silence came with them.

*****

The two hours between the first set of visitors and the second seemed to crawl for all those involved.

Exhaustion caught up to Omi early on and after his bout of unrestrained crying, he'd simply fallen asleep in Nagi's arms, the smaller boy glad to be able to give his boyfriend the comfort he needed during this difficult time.

Manx hadn't been monitoring the situation carefully and when a blanket casually drifted across the room from where it had been stacked with some pillows in an open cupboard, she was startled and cursed softly, "What the hell?!" She followed the line it was going in and glared at Nagi for a moment then smiled apologetically, whispering, "Sorry, it's the first time I've seen you do something like that. It's kind of scary."

The telekinetic nodded as he tucked the warmth around his lover's body and just gave her the half-smile he'd perfected over the years which meant nothing to anyone but Schuldich, someone he was trying very hard not to think about for fear the redheaded telepath might "hear" him. 

Realizing she'd get no further response from the boy, she turned to see Yohji smirking at her, amused for reasons she misinterpreted yet didn't question. 

Snickering softly to himself as he recalled the first time he'd been caught off-guard by a similar performance--soy sauce had never floated across their kitchen that way before--Yohji turned his own attention to the violet-eyed man who stared off into space, lost in thought. Deciding to leave well enough alone, the former detective rose to his feet and approached Manx, crouching down next to her to inquire, "Manx? Can I ask you for a favor?"

She regarded him with annoyance then said, "It depends on the *kind* of favor, Balinese. If you want to take my place in the next visitation, forget it. I need to see Siberian with my own two eyes so I can report to Persia."

Clutching his chest melodramatically, the blond man responded, "You wound me, dear Manx! All I wanted was to borrow some cash so I could go get a few things from the gift shop before they closed and stuff like that." With a look of false-injury, he pretended to move as if to leave her side.

A perfectly manicured set of fingernails wrapped themselves loosely around his wrist, however, and the woman urged, "I'm sorry, Yohji, that was rude of me." Reaching for her purse, she pulled out her wallet and asked, "How much do you need? I told you not to spend so much on lunch." 

Her playful remonstration earned her a lopsided smile from the wire-wielding assassin who answered with an elegant shrug, "I don't know. I need another pack of smokes and I thought I'd pick up some cards for whenever Omi wakes up, he's usually up for a few hands when he's nervous. I've got no idea what Nagi might find of interest to pass the time or Aya for that matter, but if we're stuck here for awhile, we might as well be comfortable, ne?"

"That's a great idea, Yohji," she complimented him unexpectedly, pulling out roughly twice as much cash as he might've asked for even after adding some extra for the new lighter he needed. Handing it to him with an encouraging glance at the scarlet-haired man who remained focused on a distant nebula he couldn't even see from the inside of the building, she suggested, "Why not take him along with you and stop for coffee in the cafeteria? I think he needs to talk but won't do it where the rest of us might hear."

"Think that might help?" Yohji asked hopefully, his own ideas on ways to bring Aya's attention back to the present not being useful due to his own on-going distraction as he continued to worry about his injured lover.

"Absolutely," Manx graced him with a warm smile and a glance at the clock before she added, "Just be back before it's time for Omi and me to go to check on Ken, okay? I think he'll need to see that you and Aya are okay before we go and if you're not here, it'll just add to his worries."

"I understand," the lanky blond agreed then stood to saunter over to his partner, dropping a warm hand onto the other man's shoulder ever so carefully, hoping to avoid startling him too much with the sudden contact.

"What is it?" Aya asked in mild confusion, his first words in far too long. 

"I've gotta run some errands for Manx," Yohji semi-lied with a shrug, "Want to come with me, Aya?"

Violet eyes narrowed briefly as Aya took a moment to assess those around him for the first time in awhile. Omi was slumbering peacefully in the arms of an enemy agent that his mind immediately relabeled "friend". Nagi had his eyes closed as well, but it was quite obvious the young telekinetic was wide awake, silently supporting the one he loved and trying to grant the others in the room some semblance of privacy. Yohji looked worried and concerned to him, yet hid it behind a saucily cocked hip and a lazy smile. Manx was studiously ignoring the men around her and was frowning at a scuffed designer shoe. 

Realizing that things were as well as could be hoped for under the circumstances, Aya finally nodded and rose stiffly from the chair, pausing to stretch before remarking tonelessly, "All right, let's go." 

Without looking back, the scarlet-haired man lead the way out of the room and missed the congratulatory look from the woman or the encouraging one from the youngest person present that Yohji received when Nagi gave him a tiny smile, too. 

*****

Yohji was good to his word and when he and Aya returned fifteen minutes before Manx and Omi were to leave to see Ken, he was somewhat surprised by the scene he found.

The blond Weiss tactician sat beside his boyfriend instead of on top of him and while he didn't look as emotionally ragged as he had earlier, the stress of the situation was clearly effecting him badly. Omi looked up at his two friends and offered a wan smile but uncharacteristically remained silent.

The eldest Weiss assassin never claimed to be an expert on reading the facial expressions of the quiet Schwarz telekinetic, but it was all he could do not to ask Nagi pointblank what he was thinking about. The midnight blue-eyed youth had a strangely neutral expression on his face, yet to Yohji he seemed troubled. It was perplexing and it disturbed the lanky blond on a level he didn't wish to admit to that he was bothered as much as he was by being closed out by the diminutive fifteen year old.

The most predictable of the group, Manx sat reading an out-of-date fashion magazine with a bored expression carefully erected to hide her nervousness about her first glimpse of the wounded Siberian. She looked up at the pair as they came in and raised an eyebrow inquiringly when she noted the bag in Yohji's hand and then smirked slightly and asked, "So, Balinese, did you complete your mission successfully?"

Yohji chuckled and was pleased to note out of the corner of his eye that Nagi seemed to have taken an interest in the exchange and was looking at him as was Omi. Reaching into the bag, he extracted a small stack of magazines which he presented to the woman with a flourish, "For you, madam, the finest reading material the gift shop had to offer." She smiled at him and noted with pleasure that between the fashion magazines was a copy of the latest issue of a news magazine which held a feature on international crime trends.

Turning towards the pair of high school students who had taken up residence on an over-stuffed couch, Yohji reached back into the bag and pulled out a couple of things for himself and his lover, then handed the rest of it to Omi, saying, "For you, Omiitchi and Nagi. A few things to keep you from getting too bored, I hope." 

Omi accepted the package with a confused half-smile and remarked, "You didn't need to go to any trouble for me, Yohji-kun."

"Sure I did, bishounen," the elder blond smiled and ruffled Omi's hair gently before adding in a more serious tone, "I know this waiting is tough on all of us. There's no reason not to try to distract ourselves a little, is there?"

"No, I guess not," the younger blond agreed then peered into the bag as natural curiosity kicked in. Nagi watched silently as his boyfriend smiled and pulled out an assortment of thick volumes of manga as well as a deck of cards and some Pocky. With a grin, Omi reached back into the bag and pulled out the final item and held it up eagerly asking, "Have you ever played Yahtzee, Nagi? It's really fun."

The sable-haired boy shook his head and frowned slightly as he admitted, "No, I've never even heard of it before. What is it?"

Omi's eyes lit up, pleased that his friends had brought him something that he knew would involve him enough to take his mind off the horrific images from the morning's battle. After glancing gratefully at the two older assassins, he explained, "It's a deceptively simple game with five dice that you throw in an attempt to arrive at various combinations to get the highest point scores. There's a lot of strategy involved and if anyone else wants to play with us it can be a lot of fun."

Nagi's shy smile as Omi carried on about the wonders of the new game was more a response to Omi's enthusiasm than anything else. With a nod, he accepted the offer, "I'd like to learn that game, Omi. Maybe you can teach it to me after you go to see Ken-kun?"

Upon being reminded of the impending visit to the ICU, the cerulean-eyed boy's face fell once more and he agreed in a sad voice, "Yeah, that would be a good idea, I guess. Um, are you going to be okay while Manx and I are gone, Nagi?"

"Of course I will, Omi," the telekinetic answered in a puzzled tone. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," the Weiss archer admitted with a sigh, then glanced at Yohji who gave him a look of encouragement before he added, "You've been terrific about all of this and it seems awful that you can't go see him before tomorrow, I thought maybe it might bother you."

Nagi forced a smile but it was more sad than glad as he answered, "Maybe it did earlier. I thought I should be there for you when you saw him, but I know that Manx needs to see him and I'd never get in Yohji-kun and Aya-kun's way of being with him again tonight. Ken-kun needs to know they're here and I doubt that he even needs to know I'm involved."

Both Omi and Yohji wanted to correct the telekinetic's assertion that Ken wouldn't benefit from knowing he had a friend here for him as well as his teammate and lovers, but the opening of the door interrupted them.

All eyes turned towards the nurse Yohji and Aya had dealt with earlier and she smiled at them as she assured, "There have been no negative changes in Hidaka-san's condition." Rising to their feet, the two men looked as if they wanted to ask a million questions, but she forestalled them, adding, "If the next two visitors are ready, I'll be glad to show them the way to the ICU and let you know what to expect during their visit, all right?"

Glancing at Omi who was receiving one last reassuring squeeze of his hand from Nagi, Manx nodded and moved to stand before her, saying, "We're ready and the others already told us the rules, they *are* fairly standard, you know."

"I know," Yamanaka responded cheerfully and shrugged, "However, they have to be explained to each and every first time visitor to our intensive care unit here at Tokyo General just the same. It's official hospital policy, not mine. Shall we go?" She noted that Omi seemed reluctant to leave the boy beside him behind and in that brief moment she could see what Egami saw, the power of their connection was almost palpable.

Omi stepped more bravely towards the two women and then nodded firmly, "Yes, let's go. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"That's the spirit, Omi," Manx reassured, placing a warm hand on his shoulder briefly and giving him a gentle push to walk ahead of her as they followed the nurse from the room.

With a sigh, Nagi dropped back onto the couch he and Omi had been sitting on and leaned back into the cushions before closing his eyes in what seemed like a fleeting expression of sadness. 

Disturbed by the Schwarz psychic's behavior and words in the prior few minutes, Yohji started to go to talk to him yet found himself stopped by a pale hand on his arm. Looking at his lover for clarification, he was further confused when Aya shook his head in silent recommendation that they leave the boy alone for a few minutes. Not pleased with this yet not willing to gainsay the rare directive, the lanky man agreed and the two Weiss assassins moved to find seats where they could alternately watch the clock and the too-quiet youth they shared the waiting room with.

The atmosphere in the waiting room was tense as the minutes slowly ticked past.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 15 & 16 will be posted together. 


	16. Unexpected Reassurance Strengthens Bonds

Title: Cold November Rain [part 16/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1915-1945 hours ++

*****

After the three assassins had been alone in the waiting room for about five minutes, Aya unexpectedly broke the silence by asking quietly, "How are you holding up, Nagi?"

"Huh?" Startled not only by the question but by the identity of the person asking it, Nagi glanced up and found himself very nearly face to face with the crouching figure of Abyssinian, ordinarily expressionless violet eyes sparkling with an unreadable emotion. The Schwarz psychic was slightly disturbed by the fact that the man had come so close to him without his being aware of it. However he was much more concerned by the air of mission-like focus that exuded from him and thereby caused the psychic to label him by his code-name instead of the common name he'd adopted from his boyfriend. 

Swallowing thickly, the younger assassin asked, "What did you say, Aya-kun? I, uh, I guess I wasn't paying attention."

To further confound the issue and utterly disorient the youth, Aya uncharacteristically reached out and brushed a lock of sable hair away from where it was blocking eyes the color of a midnight sky and he said again in a warmer tone, "How are you holding up, Nagi?" [1]

The startled telekinetic fought the sudden desire to either move away from the man who was acting strangely in his limited experience with him or to simply open up fully and confess the depths of despair he'd fallen into. Instead, he sighed and shook his head, choosing the middle ground and a blatant lie, "I'm okay, Aya-kun, just a little tired."

"Bullshit," the older man said gently, sounding more like Yohji than himself. With a sad shake of his head that sent fiery earlocks dancing around his face, Aya stated firmly, "You're no more 'okay' than the rest of us, Nagi. There's something bothering you that you don't want to tell Omi about, I'm certain of it. Why not tell me instead?"

Nervous, Nagi glanced around the room and discovered that the eldest member of Weiss was lounging against a wall, partially granting Aya's request for privacy while speaking with the Schwarz agent yet not leaving in case Nagi preferred to talk to him instead. 

Clearing his throat again, Nagi forced himself to look back at Aya and found that he could now read the emotion in piercing amaryllis eyes and he realized that it was a kindred spirit asking for trust from the quiet youth. With a nod, the sable-haired boy agreed quietly, "All right, Aya-kun." A feeling of relief started to rise within him as he said, "You're right, I'm very worried about something that I *can't* talk to Omi about. If he knew, he'd probably just feel guilty about it all over again and I can't take much more of that."

Aya nodded, unwilling to back off yet not feeling a need to rush, he estimated he had another twenty minutes before the teen's boyfriend returned. He waited patiently for a moment, then said, "I understand, Nagi. There *are* times he needs a lot of support, aren't there?"

The disturbed youth agreed with only a shallow nod of his head, then admitted in a pained voice, "What's bothering me, Aya-kun, is that I can't stop wondering what would've happened to him if you and Yohji-kun hadn't been able to reach me this morning." He choked slightly as previously trapped emotions tried to seep out when he rushed to explain, "I mean, if I'd already left for school, I'd have never known he was in trouble." 

A thin, shaking alabaster hand ran through dark chocolate hair nervously and his voice sped up, "And if I hadn't been at that bridge when he fell? Oh gods, I---" What might have been a sob from anyone else was viciously bitten back and Nagi clasped a hand to his mouth to trap any other unwanted displays of weakness, eyes large and liquid with fear.

Sometimes the scarlet-haired man hated being right. This was what Aya had assumed was disturbing the youth, a boy with so much power at his beck and call was feeling helpless as "what if" scenarios had gotten the better of him during the course of the painful afternoon and evening. Without his knowing it, each time Omi had turned to Nagi for comfort regarding his own feelings of guilt over Ken's injuries, it had only served to feed the flames of Nagi's own fear of being unable to save him when he needed it himself. 

Watching the Schwarz psychic self-destruct wasn't something Aya intended to do, however, so once more he reached out to the boy only this time he didn't withdraw his hand as soon as tear-laden deep blue eyes gazed at him once more. Instead, he kept his swordhilt-callused palm firmly in place around Nagi's arm even as his softer left hand moved to tenderly cup the boy's cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing the tears away gently. 

Nagi's eyes were wide with amazement that the field-leader of Weiss was being so atypically gentle and caring with him and it was all he could do to keep from asking where this was going, it seemed so strange. But before his thoughts turned in the wrong direction, Aya urged quietly, "You've got to stop torturing yourself with 'what if' scenarios, Nagi. I've done that myself for over two years and I can tell you they'll do nothing but eat your soul if you let them." 

It was clear that the speaker had no intention of explaining his mysterious allusion to his own tragic past, but the violet-eyed man continued with increased strength, "You need to keep in mind that you *were* there when Omi needed you. For whatever reason, fate decreed you'd be where you were at those moments and no amount of worrying will change that. I know that this seems to be poor consolation at a time like this, but you're going to have to trust in this and keep going." 

The usually unexpressive swordsman fervently hoped his deliberate efforts to be more "touchy feelly" as Ken once called the kind of interpersonal skills he was trying to use would help the diminutive psychic in front of him cope with his own burdens before the teen's boyfriend returned. Neither he nor Yohji had any misconceptions about the way their youngest teammate would react to the sight of their injured friend and he hoped that by strengthening the source of comfort for Omi the young couple might get through the pain more easily. 

Aya's voice shifted slightly as he glanced at the clock and he added encouragingly, "They'll be back in about fifteen minutes and I can assure you Omi's going to need you to be strong for him again. No matter how much Yohji said earlier about how Ken looks right now, it's still going to be a shock for him and you need to be ready for that." He stroked away the last of the drying tears and asked, "Can you do that for him, Nagi? Can you give Omi the support he needs to get through this?"

"I'll try, Aya-kun," Nagi promised in a small voice, still in a state of shock that he had been on the receiving end of such an understanding gesture from the usually stoic man. As he felt the hand leave his face, he blinked in surprise at how cold his skin felt without the warmth it had derived from the icy-looking palm that had rested there. 

Looking up as Aya rose fluidly to stand above him, amethyst eyes cool and analytical once more, Nagi added more firmly, "Thank you for letting me talk to you about that, Aya-kun. I'm sure it'll creep into my mind again but I'll remember what you said and try not to let it bother me as much."

"Good," the Weiss swordsman nodded then half-smiled as he asked over one shoulder, "Anything you care to add, Balinese?"

"Who? Me?" The lanky blond remarked from where he had edged a little closer while pretending to not have been listening. With a shrug he asked, "Add to what, Aya?"

Nagi blinked in confusion at the two men and almost missed the subtle demi-roll of amethyst eyes as Aya remarked coolly, "Nothing, Yohji. Nothing at all."

Accepting the clear invitation to join them, the eldest member of Weiss strolled over to stand between the two of them and he glanced at Nagi with warmth and compassion as he asked, "Feel better now, bishounen?"

Nagi nodded then quirked an eyebrow at the man and asked, "Isn't that one of your nicknames for Omi, Yohji-kun?"

The tall man shrugged elegantly and answered, "Yeah, but it fits you, too, Nagi, don't you think?"

"Me? A 'beautiful boy'?" The telekinetic shook his head in definite negation, "I don't think so."

"Well, *I* do and you can trust me to know beauty when I see it!" The smile on Yohji's lips was warm and earnest as he added, "I'm glad Aya convinced me to let him talk to you. I really didn't hear most of what you talked about, but I've got to agree with the end of it. Omiitchi's going to be a real disaster zone when he gets back from seeing Ken. Rightly or wrongly, we came to rely on you too much earlier to take care of him, but this time I think there's not a whole helluva lot Aya and I can do for him that you wouldn't do a better job of."

The confidence the older assassins were showing in him wasn't misplaced and Nagi nodded thoughtfully then asked, "And if I need help?"

"You'll have it," Aya's deep voice promised as he gazed at both his lover and the boy who was too much like himself for comfort at times.

"Anything we can do, just ask," Yohji assured then sighed deeply as he glanced at the clock before mentioning, "Why not stretch your legs a bit, Nagi? They won't be back for a few minutes and we'll hold the fort."

The youngest member of Schwarz rose to his feet and accepted, "Sounds like a good idea. I'll be back shortly."

After Nagi had left the room, Yohji turned towards the elder of his pair of lovers and asked solemnly, "Is he going to be okay?"

Shaking his head, Aya turned towards him and answered, "Damned if I know. There's something more bothering him that I didn't even try to get at, Yohji, but I think it was something about Schwarz. I swear, if we're going to draw him into our lives as deeply as we have, someday we're going to have to get him away from those madmen he works with." His voice dropped a bit lower as he added, "You *do* know that, don't you?"

Yohji sighed deeply, suddenly very tired and unhappy with being confronted by an issue he had to admit was starting to worry him, "Yeah, babe, I know." Slipping a hand into the pocket where the cigarettes awaited his use and wishing he had time for one, he added, "But that's not really our decision to make, is it, Aya? Fuck, I wish things weren't this complicated."

Aya gazed at him with compassion and agreed, "I know." He closed the distance between them for the briefest of embraces that said more than words could ever have said and then he drew away again, already sinking back into the cooler shell of Abyssinian to prepare for the onslaught when the others returned.

Realizing the shift in his partner's stance reflected a shift in mindset as well, Yohji backed away and gave Aya space to move past him to isolate himself in a leather chair all the while the older man cursed the walls the younger one could erect so easily. 

"Damn you, Takatori," Yohji swore under his breath far too softly for Aya to hear over the creak of poorly maintained leather. "Why'd you have to go and fuck up my Aya's soul so badly that he can't let his heart show for more than a few minutes at a time? Damn you to hell, you stinking bastard!"

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Don't panic. Aya's OOC-ness is a deliberate ploy on his part to get past Nagi's emotional barriers in an effort to help him cope with the situation he's facing and just in case I failed to spell it out properly in the narrative, I decided to add a note here. I don't intend to imply that Aya has any shonen ai/yaoi feelings for the adorable telekinetic, but since my use of skin-to-skin contact always carries a strong element of symbolic meaning, I thought I'd best explain. Besides, I don't want Omiitchi coming after me in my sleep thinking I'm trying to build a five-way between him, Nagi, Ken, Aya, and Yohji. Not that it isn't a pretty image in my head, just that it's fundamentally wrong to separate soulmates in any given continuity.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 15 & 16 will be posted together. 

Special Announcement: This evening's posting run is dedicated to the ever delightful and incredibly talented Yanagi-sen!!

{gets out a HUGE celebration trumpet and blows it gleefully}

She is receiving this honor for so many different reasons, I'd probably need to add an "instant gratification" split to include them all, so I'll just hit the high points, okay?

First: She's a wonderful person, a good friend, and a faithful fic correspondent! There is no way I can ever tell you how great it is to get one of her letters of comment on something of mine! She tells me what she thought as she read, it's almost as if we were in the same room as she went through the story and it's simply better than sunshine on a cloudy day!

Second: She's a terrific writer who has many Weiss Kreuz fics that are simply wonderful! Especially the (Omi + Nagi) stories, if I do say so myself! She also writes some damned good Gundam Wing stories and they're available at fanfiction.net for your reading pleasure, too.

Third: She's got a great web site where you can go and admire nifty pics and bios of both Schwarz *and* Weiss, plenty of her lovely fics of course, and so much more to enjoy! If you, too, wish to worship at her dainty feet and enjoy some really fabulous web-goodies, go to: http://willownymph.1accesshost.com/www.1accesshost.com/home%20page.htm , select "Tears in the Rain" and check it out! Make sure to sign her guest book and tell her "A Little Llama" sent you, okay? 

Last but not least--and possibly something I shouldn't mention this way but it seems like such good news, I wanted to share it!: Tomorrow she officially starts a new job as an honest-to-goodness art teacher! Not just the "substitute" for a change, this talented lady will be sharing her love for things colorful and fun with a lucky group of schoolchildren and if my kids had her for a teacher, I'd be thrilled. 

{applauds wildly and hopes this isn't too fan-boyish of him}

So, congratulations, Yanagi-sen! Tonight's entire batch of Weiss goodness is now permanently embossed with your name on it and I hope it adds a tiny gold star to what should be an otherwise spectacular day! Good luck on your first day of a new, fabulous future as teacher and inspirer of the single greatest treasure America has to offer: her children!

{bows deeply truly appreciative that he can call someone as special as she is "friend"} 

That's it for tonight, gang! I hope you enjoyed the additions to the story that preceded my impromptu worship of a dear friend and will not only go see her site, but will also drop me a line about the fic if you feel like it since it always helps keep my muses active. Otherwise, stay safe and I'll do my level best to be back with more angst soon!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is staring at the page where he adds new fic pieces at fanfiction.net and saying to himself, "This story has *90* incredibly generous and supportive comments and there's even a small debate going on over whether Ken should live or die here? Wow, how cool is *this*?!" needless to say, the llama is overwhelmed and deeply thankful to all those reading this story)

Posted 01 February 2002 ~3:00am


	17. Understandable yet Painful Reactions

Attention Fanfiction.net Friends:

A brief apology to those of you who were eagerly anticipating more of this story--or at least an intermission notice!--Friday night, but fanfiction.net was "closed" for hours on end, and every time I tried to go there to upload the following two Parts it was impossible. So, here you are, two new pieces of story as well as a warning that there may be an actual intermission notice tonight if I don't start feeling better. 

{holds head miserably in one hand and then goes back to typing with the other}

For those of you who don't know, I happen to be one of those unlucky souls who get migraines and all it takes is a bit more stress than normal and I end up in my own personal version of hell for awhile. So, after staying up too late last night wrestling with getting this fic out on time while ff.net was down and driving me batty, I woke up feeling fairly miserable today. To make matters worse, my angst muse wants to go back into the rough draft and insert an entire new Part just to go take another peek at Schu and Brad, something I'll probably do since these two are so much fun to write. 

Even though at least one reviewer here has already complained about the length of the story in the first place and will probably hate having more of it, I'm hoping that most of you are enjoying an in-depth look at these characters' lives during a moment of crisis. And if you don't enjoy something long like this one, feel free to go read something else, don't leave me any more flames, they only make the migraine worse.

{whimpers in a rather unmanly fashion since he's terribly susceptible to the pain of flames yet has a hard time ignoring even one of them}

In retrospect, though, I've been doing fairly well at getting this out on a nightly basis and I guess it won't be the end of the world if I need a night or two off to get rid of this headache. Should that be the case--*and* if fanfiction.net is up and running, of course!--there will be a temporary intermission note added here later that may include any number of strange things. When the headaches get *really* bad I can't function at all, but if it stays at the level it's at right now, I might have enough energy to at least comment on where the story arc is headed in case anyone's curious.

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who is such a baby at times, ne? he can't handle a little pain or a bad review, geez!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 17/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 1945-2025 hours ++

*****

No one was particularly surprised when Manx returned to the waiting room guiding a distraught seventeen year old boy who was having trouble seeing where he was going due to moisture in his eyes.

Neither were they shocked when Omi launched himself into Nagi's arms the moment he saw the telekinetic stepping towards him. Galvanized by his discussion with the elder members of Weiss, the younger of the pair easily swept his boyfriend into his arms with a slight assist from his psychic powers and he returned to the over-sized chair the two of them had found comfort in before. The telekinetic cuddled the blond close, encouraging Omi to simply curl against him as much as he needed to and the older boy practically glued himself to him gratefully even as his tears fell in a torrential flood of misery.

With a sad expression, Yohji shook out the warm blanket that had been used earlier and placed it around the boys before giving Nagi a slight bow of his head by way of thanks for his bravery as well as reminder of the promised support if it should be needed. 

Struggling to speak through his tears, Omi babbled at length to his boyfriend about how horrible Ken looked and how it was all his fault, and so on. There was nothing in his words that shocked or horrified Nagi, though, and the Schwarz assassin was able to provide the comfort and reassurance the Weiss assassin needed as he allowed the pain to be given voice.

Seeing that the teenagers were settled as best as she could hope, Manx then turned to the others and asked, "Balinese? Abyssinian? Could you come with me, please? I think we need to talk before I call Persia."

"Certainly, Manx," Yohji agreed, none of their usual teasing evident as the three of them moved outside to the porch that doubled as a smoking area. The lanky blond pulled out his cigarettes and put a pair between his lips intending to give one to Aya as soon as he lit them. Igniting the small lighter and adding a smoldering glow to the ends of both, he inhaled deeply before being startled as one was pulled free unexpectedly.

"Thanks," Manx remarked as she stuck the cigarette between lips atypically devoid of lipstick, the cosmetic having been a victim of her own concerted efforts not to break into tears earlier.

"Manx?! What the fuck?!" Yohji exclaimed then stared at her, asking, "Since when do *you* smoke?" 

The woman didn't answer right away, she just allowed sorrowful blue-green eyes to slip shut as she drew a deep lungful of nicotine-laden smoke in and held it there too expertly for her to be the virgin smoker that Yohji supposed her to be.

Aya frowned and crossed his arms over his chest before gesturing with his head for Yohji to either give *him* the cigarette currently dangling unnoticed from his lips or hand him the pack and the lighter. Scrambling mentally, the blond pulled out a third cigarette and lit it end-to-end with his own then handed the freshly lit one to his lover.

Taking a shallow inhalation, the scarlet-haired man gratefully felt the acrid smoke burn his throat. Coughing slightly as he released a puff of gray smoke into the leaden night which had been rendered moonless by the unremitting cloud cover that had thickened after sunset, Aya wondered how much longer any of them could reasonably be expected to handle this level of tension.

Yohji nervously sucked his cigarette to ashes in record time because he was unnerved by the image of the usually calm and cool female Kritiker agent who had allowed a few tears to slip down her face unheeded as she attended to her own cigarette. The white paper surrounding the tobacco was stained by an errant salt-water droplet and it was all Yohji could do to keep from panicking worse than he was. He drew forth a new smoke, lit it from the butt of the first one, eager for the nicotine to hit his system even as he flicked the glowing ember off into the night.

"I can't believe he's survived this long," Manx finally said, breaking the silence with a voice gone husky from internalized sobbing. 

"I know," Aya agreed coolly, further undermining Yohji's tenuous hold on reality before he tilted his head towards the woman and silently commanded his usually eloquent lover to speak up and try to get the situation under control.

The lanky blond took a quick deep inhalation of nicotinic smoke and then forced himself to say, "But he's tough, Manx. You'll see, Kenken'll be up and at 'em before you know it!"

Disbelieving red-rimmed eyes turned towards him and the woman asked, "Do you really believe that bullshit, Kudou, are you just trying to make me feel better? Because if you're trying to make me feel less like hell than I am, it isn't working."

"Fuck, Manx," Yohji cursed helplessly, "You know I *want* to believe it, I really do! Ken means a hell of a lot more to Aya 'n me than he does to you!"

She gazed at him through raccoon-like eyes, the tears having proven her mascara's claims to be waterproof false, then nodded and sniffled in an unprofessional fashion before she said, "I know, Yohji, and I'm sorry. I thought I was a tougher bitch than I am. But when I saw him in there with all those wires and tubes running in and out of him, all I could think of was that he probably should've died this morning and I can't believe he didn't now that I've seen him."

"You should have more confidence in him, Manx," Aya spoke up unexpectedly and then asked insightfully, "Or is there something more that disturbed you while you were in there?"

She nodded shakily and admitted, "I wondered if we did the right thing having Egami's team work so hard to save him the way we did. If the spinal injury doesn't repair itself, then what? Not to mention the renal damage." A shaking manicured hand brought what was left of her cigarette back to her lips and she drew in a lungful of smoke before she said softly, "I just don't know if we're doing the right thing, that's all."

"Hell, of course we are," Yohji said sympathetically before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a brief hug. "You don't think Ken would want you to pull the plug on *me* if the situation was reversed, now do you?"

"I don't really know," Manx admitted thoughtfully, then she glanced at Aya whose face held many thoughts and yet he said nothing. Curious despite her own inner confusion, she asked, "What about you, Abyssinian? What're you thinking about?"

The scarlet-haired man snorted self-derisively and finished his cigarette before answering. In a cold voice that sounded like it had come from the grave only to answer this question, he responded, "As 'Abyssinian', I'd have to say we give Siberian a fighting chance and then let nature take its course. But as a man who spends every night of his life regretting not being able to protect his family, my answer would be different." 

The tone deepened and sharpened as he stated flatly, "As the last son of the Fujimiya family, I'd say we do absolutely everything possible to bring Ken through this nightmare as intact as he was 24 hours ago. If he needs a kidney, say so. I'm sure I can find a way to get one. If he needs some alternative treatment to make sure he can still walk and run, I'll find that, too. No one is taking him away from us." He took a breath and his voice darkened even more as he growled, "Death can't have him, he's ours now."

Yohji was dumbfounded by his lover's words, so shocked at the vehemence in Aya's tone that he never questioned the openly stated willingness to go so far as to procure a human organ outside the medical community's pre-existing systems. His throat worked soundlessly and he found there weren't any words to say anyway and he remained atypically silent.

Manx stared at Aya openly and even though her first reaction was to discount his words as those of an anguished man fearing for the life of his lover, she realized quickly that he meant everything he'd said quite literally. She nodded slowly and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes not caring when it came away sticky with melted eye shadow and mascara. With a sigh, she finally said, "I hope that it doesn't get that bad, Aya, but I certainly didn't mean we were going to do anything less than our best for him. I only doubted whether or not we were doing the right thing at this point."

"You are as long as he keeps getting the best care possible," the violet-eyed man insisted then looked at Yohji as if wondering what the other man thought yet not wanting to know badly enough to go ahead and ask.

The jade-eyed man truly didn't have anything much to add until he recalled the woman's excuse for drawing the two men outdoors with her. He asked, "Did you really have something to discuss with us before you call Persia, Manx? I promised Nagi we'd be there for him if he needed help with Omi and I think we ought to try to get back to them just in case."

The woman nodded, grateful for the distraction that duty could be when one needed it to be. She coughed the last of her tears away then resumed her usual cool façade and asked, "How soon do you think you can put together a mission report? Persia's going to want to begin analysis on what went wrong with this one as soon as possible."

"That would be Omi's job ordinarily," the wire-wielding assassin said with a frown. "But I don't want him to have to do it right now. Maybe in a few days, but not now. If Persia wants a preliminary one, I guess I can put one together tomorrow if you bring me a laptop."

She nodded and pulled out her Palm Pilot, making a few notes as to what type of computer the green-eyed man preferred since it wasn't his strong suit, selecting one with the right features might help expedite the matter. As she jotted a few other things she wanted to talk to her boss about, she asked, "Where are you guys spending the night tonight?"

"Right here, I guess," Yohji said with a shrug, wondering why she was asking.

"They won't let you do that, Yohji," Manx responded with a glance that said she knew he knew better than to plan on that.

"True," the tall man answered nonchalantly as he glanced at his partner who had lapsed into a brooding silence, then added, "But I bet there's a million places to hide around here so we could keep an eye on Ken in case he needed us."

"Not acceptable," the woman stated flatly and then jotted another notation to get them hotel accommodations nearby. "I'll get you rooms at the Hilton." 

Yohji's interest was piqued by this suggestion. The luxury hotel was within easy walking distance and if it meant he could see to it that Omi got a good night's rest where he himself could slip out to come back over if he felt the urge, it seemed like a good idea after all. Pretending to not particularly care, he agreed, "If you insist *and* if Kritiker's covering the bills, Manx, go ahead." Another thought crossed his mind and he added sheepishly, "Um, do you think you could swing by the Koneko and grab us a change of clothes in the morning, though? These scrubs are okay for awhile but this just isn't me, you know?"

"No problem, Yohji," she smiled at him, glad to have a plan of attack after feeling so helpless all day long. With a glance at the silent scarlet-haired man who leaned against a wall seemingly unaware of them, she asked, "Aya? You okay?"

Icy violet eyes rose to gaze at her as if she had interrupted an important internal discussion, he answered tonelessly, "I'm fine." The cold eyes that hid a deep pool of sorrow behind them slid over to Yohji and Aya stated, "I'm going to check on Omi and Nagi. We've been out here too long." He pushed away from the wall and stalked back inside, leaving them to ponder what had been going through his mind, never once realizing that he had been reliving the sorrow of another tragic day when he was much younger and had lost a great deal more.

"What's eating him?" Manx asked then answered herself, "Other than everything that's happened, I mean. Never mind, stupid question."

Yohji felt crestfallen that he could do so little to ease the suffering of any of those affected by the days tragic events and then turned to her with a sigh as he glanced at the watch that concealed his deadly wire. Flicking a spot of dried blood off that he'd missed when he'd cleaned it in the men's room earlier, he asked, "Did you want another cigarette before I leave, Manx? He's right, we have been out here longer than we should've been."

"No, that was my one for the year." She chuckled mirthlessly, and remarked, "I swore I'd never smoke another one of the damned things after I got out of college. Guess some oaths aren't meant to be kept, ne?"

Biting back the questions that automatically rose to mind, the slender blond merely moved away from her and towards the direction his lover had gone in, but before he left, he asked, "Are you staying until after Aya and I get to see Ken one more time tonight, Manx?"

"Absolutely," she agreed then shook her head sadly before saying, "But after I talk to Persia, I think I'll take a walk. I need to clear my head."

"And wash your face," Yohji suggested gently, then smiled the warm smile he reserved for moments when the two of them weren't at war with one another the way they usually were, "Unless of course the 'Alice Cooper' look is in these days?"

"Get out of here!" Manx laughed and regretted having no readily available projectiles as the door behind the tall man closed with a soft click that hid his chuckle. 

If they could laugh and tease like this, it was a good sign they'd get through this with their nominal friendship intact despite hurtful words being shared earlier.

*****

Aya had reentered the waiting room quietly, not allowing the two teenagers to hear his arrival hoping not to disturb Nagi's efforts to calm Omi. He needn't have worried.

"It'll be okay, koi," Nagi was saying softly, rubbing a warm hand down Omi's back where he trembled against him. The older boy's tears had nearly dried up and now he rested tiredly against the younger one's chest, grateful for the rhythmic sound of Nagi's heart beating so close by. 

A soft sigh was Omi's only audible answer, but he slowly raised his head ever so slightly, then let it drop down again, a subtle way of letting his lover know he was still awake this time, having become somewhat stronger after his earlier rest. 

Nagi had wanted to hear what Omi had said to Ken and if there had been any reaction from the injured man. But he didn't want to risk upsetting him, so he continued to stroke his back and say whatever encouraging words came to mind even though he himself was tiring badly. 

Lack of sleep due to worry the night before combined with a stressful day had the telekinetic yawning slightly and the disruption in his regular breathing was enough to cause Omi to lift his head fully. Blinking kittenishly at his boyfriend even as he wiped at nearly-dry eyes, the young blond asked quietly, "Are you tired, Nagi-love?"

The younger teen nodded and apologized, "A little. I'm sorry for disturbing you, why not just rest some more, koi?"

"No, I don't think I need to," Omi insisted then glanced around the room and spotted his teammate where Aya stood relaxed against a wall, arms crossed over his chest like usual. "Oh, Aya-kun! I didn't know you were back. Nagi said you and Yohji-kun had gone somewhere with Manx. Is everything okay?"

Pushing off from the wall with the heel of one foot, the scarlet-haired man walked towards the teens wondering in the back of his mind if they had any idea how much the sight of the two of them together this way reassured him at this point. 

With a warmer than usual smile, Aya stopped close enough that if Omi had reached out for him he was there yet not so close as to make Nagi uncomfortable and answered, "Things are as well as they can be expected to be, Omi. You've got to try to not to worry about everything so much, let us take care of things for a change."

The Weiss tactician looked unhappy with these thoughts yet nodded slowly, "You're right, Aya-kun. I'm letting this get to me more than it should." He wiped at nearly dry eyes angrily and found a gentle hand coming to rest on his wrist stopping him from scrubbing too harshly at his face.

"It's okay to feel what you do, Omi-koi," Nagi urged quietly, "I think what he means is that you need to remember we're here, too, and to try not to pressure yourself so much. Right, Aya-kun?" Pleading midnight blue eyes gazed up at violet ones and the Weiss swordsman felt his heart clench slightly.

"Of course that's what I meant," the scarlet-haired man assured automatically wishing he was more eloquent than he was. 

"Ah, well, okay," Omi agreed then glanced around before asking, "Is Yohji-kun going to be back soon? I wondered if we might go down to the cafeteria again? I'd like some cocoa."

"That's a good sign," Nagi smiled encouragingly as he helped his lover get off his lap with as much dignity as they could manage.

Before long, the four young men were making their way down to the cafeteria to share a hot drink and talk quietly together. By the time they would return to the waiting room later, they would all feel at least a little better and they would eventually find distractions to keep them occupied until the last visit of the night to the ICU.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] The hotel described here is based loosely on the incredible Tokyo Hilton International in Shinjuku, a place that the Llama couldn't afford under the best of circumstances, but I figure Persia *really* owes the team after the hellish assignments he routinely sends them on. That or Manx put her well-heeled foot down and insisted on it so there'd be a little less stress in the guys' lives at this point. 

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 17 & 18 will be posted together. 


	18. Transitions and Preparations

Title: Cold November Rain [part 18/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 1. time: 2145-2230 hours ++

*****

When Aya and Yohji returned from checking on Ken one last time, they were understandably solemn yet there was a faint ray of hope shining in jade-green eyes.

Omi looked up from where he was starting to try to teach Nagi how to play Yahtzee to ask, "Any improvement, Yohji-kun?"

"Some, maybe, I'm not sure," Yohji scratched the back of his head uncertainly then glanced at Aya who was lost in thought before he explained, "I think his color was a little better, not quite so gray."

"Really? That's good, isn't it, Aya-kun?" Nagi asked trying to draw the pale-skinned man into the conversation since he was worried by the way the scarlet-haired man's lips were pressed together angrily. 

The Weiss swordsman looked up and there was a storm brewing in amethyst eyes that no one in the room, not even his own lover, could read. Forcing a neutral expression onto his face, he answered, "Yes, Nagi, that's good if it's true and not a figment of Yohji's imagination."

The older man cast a questioning glance at the slightly younger one, but in the end Yohji wisely chose not to respond to the jibe. Instead, he stretched languidly and asked, "So, Manx, did you get those hotel reservations lined up? I think we could use some rest."

The Kritiker agent nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper she'd already jotted the information on that they needed and a set of plastic credit card-like door keys. She handed them all to the eldest member of Weiss, saying, "I got you four a suite at the Hilton two blocks from here. You're already checked in, the room number's listed there. Your assassin's gear has been cleaned and decontaminated by Kritiker and should be waiting for you inside by now."

"Um, Manx?" The cerulean-eyed boy looked up with a guilty expression on his face before he asked, "What about my suspenders? I tore them up for Ken-kun's wounds and all."

"Not to worry, Omi," she smiled at him reassuringly. "They've been replaced as have the gloves you lost. Believe me, what you did with those straps of yours this morning was probably something far better than what the original designers ever thought you might do with them."

A slight flush danced across Omi's cheeks at the praise and then he noticed Nagi was yawning again and he asked, "Do you want to head over to the hotel soon, Nagi-love? You seem awfully sleepy."

Nagi held a thin hand over his mouth as he kept yawning yet nodded, then admitted, "I think that would be nice, Omi. I don't know why I'm so tired. It's not like I…" His words were swallowed by another yawn. 

Yohji chuckled softly as he stuffed the hotel information and keys into a pocket before stopping to frown slightly as something occurred to him and he asked, "Can I ask you something, Nagi? Does using your powers usually tire you out?"

The diminutive psychic nodded his head slightly then frowned, "Yes, Yohji-kun, but not this bad ordinarily. After a particularly demanding battle sometimes I don't even make it home before I pass out, but today wasn't that bad, was it?"

"You tell me, bishounen," the eldest member of Weiss responded with concern and then shook his head as he weighed the pros and cons of offering to simply carry the exhausted boy to their temporary residence. After giving it some thought, though, he realized that would be treading on his youngest teammate's area of responsibility and he added, "But it seems to me that this entire day has been one thing after another for you. Let's get you and Omiitchi both somewhere you can sleep for awhile, it'll do you a world of good."

Omi pretended to pout somewhat and teased good-naturedly, "Since when are *you* so fatherly, Yohji-kun?" The effectiveness of the tease, however, was destroyed by his own huge yawn which was followed by a helpless giggle.

Yohji just snorted and lead the way out of the waiting room trusting Aya to follow as he shepherded the teenagers ahead of him saying, "Since when have *you* needed me to be a 'daddy', Omiitchi? C'mon, let's get you and Nagi somewhere more comfortable for sleeping than that chair you were snoozing in earlier."

"Ok, papa," the smaller blond teased back, pleased at the warm expression Nagi was trying to hide as the fairly tender moment played itself out.

Trailing along behind the other three, Aya remained lost in thought. It wasn't until they stepped outside the hospital and he felt the first wet kiss of bone-chilling rain on his face that he found he had something to say. With an angry growl, the scarlet-haired man buried his hands in the pockets of the surgical scrubs he'd worn all day and remarked to himself, "It fucking figures it would be raining again."

Several meters ahead, sauntering after the now running teenagers who were trying to get to the hotel fast enough to not get soaked, Yohji turned his head and asked, "What was that, Aya?"

Cold violet eyes gazed through the shimmering rain to catch tired jade ones and he answered, "The rain, Yohji. It always seems to be raining when things are going wrong for us." [1] 

Shrugging and slowing to a standstill to allow his lover to catch up to him, the taller man simply answered, "It's just rain, no big deal." He held out one hand as if to catch the drops and then he added more worriedly, "But it *is* pretty depressing at that. Maybe it'll clear up soon?"

"Don't try to be an optimist, Yohji, it doesn't suit either of us," Aya snorted and passed him by en route to the large glowing "H" ahead of them. 

"Aya-kun!! Yohji-kun!!" Omi's clear alto voice sailed above the noise of the rain as the teen waved frantically at them. "Hurry up! You're getting all wet!" Nagi stood beside his boyfriend under the hotel's awning and half-smiled having become more accustomed to his partner's occasional outbursts. 

As Yohji lifted his eyes to the pair, the too-slender telekinetic shivered visibly in dripping wet scrubs and he muttered a curse before stepping up his pace and calling back, "Get inside, baka! You two are going to freeze standing there like that." He arrived with Aya at his side and physically grasped Omi and Nagi both by the shoulders and hustled them inside the warm and inviting lobby. 

Once they had shaken off the worst of the rainwater, the foursome made their way to the elevators, earning a glare from the uniformed bell captain who strode forward and asked, "May I help you, gentlemen? The hospital is two blocks from here." The insult was clear in his tone and Yohji didn't much care for it. 

Glancing over the tops of his sunglasses, rain-dotted though they were and utterly out of place so late at night, the jade-eyed man answered in tones that seemed warm and friendly yet weren't, "Thanks for the info, buddy. Since we're staying in the Presidential Suite be a pal and get us some extra towels and robes for the sauna, would ya?"

Drawing himself up short, the man spluttered something along the lines of regretting his rudeness then rushed off in the opposite direction as the four assassins stepped into the elevator and watched the mirrored doors slide shut behind them. As they rose upward into the residential floors of the hotel, Omi couldn't resist asking, "Are we really in the Presidential Suite, Yohji-kun? I didn't think Persia would pay for something *that* extravagant."

The green-eyed man just shrugged then laughed humorlessly, "I have no idea which suite we're in, Omiitchi. I just didn't care for his tone and if he needed something to do other than to badger newly arrived guests, that was something, ne?"

Nagi snickered softly between the small yawns that returned to play with the corners of his lips even as Omi laughed, "Yohji-kun, you're incorrigible! What would Manx say if she saw that?"

Unexpectedly, Aya interrupted and asked with annoyance, "What suite number *are* we in?"

Yohji's eyebrow arched up as he pulled out the door keys and handed out the cards, saying, "Sorry, Aya. We're in 535."

"Hn. Top floor then." The scarlet-haired man snorted softly then commented acidly, "If we really *are* in the Presidential Suite, Kudou, it's *your* problem to come up with a tip for that guy if he shows up with what you asked for."

"Well, fuck, if we've got rooms *that* nice, I'll just put it on the tab!" Yohji laughed, then smirked broadly at the two boys who looked confused by the conversation, "C'mon, Aya, don't be such a wet blanket! We're in a four-star hotel at someone else's expense for a change, enjoy it, why don't ya?"

A look colder than death itself sliced the air between the two older assassins as the elevator door opened and the teens stepped out to go in search of the correct direction to go to their suite, and Aya hissed for Yohji's ears alone, "Why *don't* I 'enjoy' it, Balinese?! Maybe because right now, Siberian could be dying and you're over here acting like some goddamned high roller! Keep in mind why we're really here!" 

Aya began to stalk away but he found his arm crushed in the grip of a hand that could easily break a neck without much thought and Yohji spun his lover to face him, growling softly, "Don't think I've forgotten about Ken for even a moment, Abyssinian! But don't *you* forget those kids up ahead of us, either, you bastard! They're both asleep on their feet or worse and if I can get their minds off this, I thought they might sleep soundly enough that the two of us could double back and keep watch over Ken later while they rested." 

Releasing his hand with barely restrained fury he added, "Or would you really *prefer* to push them to the edge just to watch them get stuck in that fucking hospital, too?! Who knows *what* might happen if we let Prodigy get a little farther gone? Maybe he doesn't just 'pass out' if he's tired enough, or is that what you want? To see how far we can push both him *and* Bombay?" 

Sparks seemed to fly through the air between the two men briefly as Aya fought a desire to shove some of Yohji's hurtful words back down his throat, but he soon realized he'd been over the line and admitted it. "All right, Yohji, you win." He shook his head and moved to follow in the direction Omi and Nagi had walked towards. "I'm sorry. I just can't get rid of a feeling that we ought to still be over there."

Yohji forced himself to calm down and he nodded as he walked beside his partner, "I agree. But I'm serious about getting Omi and Nagi taken care of first." A happy shout ahead of them indicated Omi had opened the door to their suite and found it to be beyond acceptable. The jade-eyed man then added quietly, "Besides, Manx said our gear would be waiting for us here. Wouldn't you rather infiltrate that place wearing something a little less 'casual' than these scrubs?"

Aya quirked an unanticipated smirk then replied, "They're good camouflage, I guess, but, yeah, I'd rather have my boots and leather."

"Same here," Yohji agreed darkly, then forced a bright smile as he stepped into a well-equipped though not "Presidential" suite and looked at the two teenagers. Nagi was leaning tiredly against a wall while Omi was inspecting their accommodations. "Does it meet with your approval, bishounen?"

Omi glanced up with a smile that was broken by a yawn and then he frowned, "Which one of us were you speaking to, Yohji-kun?"

"Both," the man shrugged then asked, "Did you pick out a room yet, Omiitchi? I think your boyfriend is dead on his feet over there." His meaningful gaze was directed towards the youth who was now standing slumped against the back of a chair and yawning so hard, tears had formed in the corners of dark blue eyes.

The look of sadness on the younger blond's face as he nodded said a great deal and Omi pointed at a room with a double bed and a few elegant furnishings then he asked, "Will this be okay? The other room's got a bigger bed but we don't need it."

"It's fine, Omi," Aya said flatly, then moved past the two blondes to quietly ask, "Nagi? Did you need anything else? Or just some sleep?" The violet-eyed man had tried to suppress the feeling of connection he was beginning to feel towards the fifteen year old, but there was something achingly familiar in the boy's soul he couldn't deny or explain.

Exhausted, the Schwarz telekinetic merely nodded and moved to step away from where he'd propped himself up but stumbled. Without so much as a mumbled curse or other exclamation, the scarlet-haired man swept the small psychic up into his arms and carried the youth to the bedroom Omi had indicated. 

Cerulean eyes went wide with shock as Aya tenderly laid the already dozing teen onto the bed before shooting Omi a look that clearly asked how long he intended to leave the other boy alone. The Weiss archer blinked the shock from his face and then smiled warmly at Aya before gladly climbing into bed and spooning himself against the smaller teen's back, cuddling close and falling into a deep slumber almost immediately.

After covering the sleeping pair with a comforter, Aya stepped out of the room with a softly murmured traditional wish for pleasant dreams for the two boys before closing the door soundlessly behind himself.

The expression of amazement on Yohji's face was one well worth remembering, but instead of dwelling on the fact that he was still capable of surprising his lover, Aya asked simply, "Where's our gear?"

Damp shoulder-length blond hair was brushed back with an elegant gesture and his partner answered, "I saw it by the wet bar." As they walked back to the living area of the obviously expensive suite they were about to turn around and leave, he added as he stripped the cleaner's bags from his navy blue trench coat and leather pants, "Did you need anything before we go?"

"Some caffeine might be a good idea," Aya admitted with a yawn of his own, he'd been awake for more than 36 hours and it was catching up to him, but it wouldn't stop him as he shoved his feet into tight riding boots once more. 

"Sounds reasonable," Yohji agreed and slipped the trench coat around his midriff-baring sleeveless turtleneck, adjusting the shoulders so that the white crosses on the sleeves were positioned correctly. He grabbed a polishing cloth and gave his sunglasses a quick swipe then suggested, "Want to grab a Coke or see if there's some No Doz in the coin-op?"

Slipping the final of the various buckles on his burgundy trench coat into place and cinching the belt in tightly, Aya answered, "I don't care, whatever you want is fine with me."

"Cool," Yohji agreed, pulled two violently overpriced cans of soft drink from the wet bar and tossed one to his partner who caught it in a gloved hand. He couldn't help but smirk at the image Aya created, all lethal leather with his katana concealed beneath his coat as always sipping at the overly carbonated beverage in the cheerful red and white can. 

"What?" Aya asked not particularly caring as Yohji shook his head in amusement and quickly left a note for Omi and Nagi in his usual less than neat kanji.

"Nothing," the taller man snickered before popping the top of his own drink and swallowing some of it with gusto. Wiping his mouth with the back of his own gloved hand, he added, "Ready to rock, Abyssinian?"

"Always, Balinese," the slightly shorter man agreed, all business as they dropped their empty soda cans into a recycle bin and headed for the door. 

The pair of deadly young men then left the hotel as silently as shadows and vanished into the dreary wet night on their self-appointed mission to guard their fallen lover, one that was about to turn unexpectedly crucial. 

Left behind them, two boys huddled together in slightly disturbed sleep as Omi moaned softly, "Don't die, Ken-kun. Please, don't die!"

Too drowsy to comprehend anything beyond the fact that his beloved was in distress, Nagi simply rolled over and wrapped both arms around the slightly taller youth and they both settled into a deeper sleep. The innocence of slumber washed some of the weight of the day's events from their faces and they would remain blissfully unaware of the life-or-death struggle that would unfold for their friends within a few hours.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Ah, rain. Precipitation, clouds, and storms are common cinematic devices used so frequently in anime as to be a cliché in and of themselves. Yet like Yanagi-sen, Mami-sama, and a host of other WK writers, I find depressing rainy weather too wonderfully suited to these "hunters of the night" to *not* use it heavily, obviously. Of course, I also use it quite a bit in my GW work and in one series (the "Gifts Arc") it is actually a positive element and specifically indicates rebirth for the spirit of one Trowa Barton where his "secret love" Chang Wufei is involved, that is! Ah, rain. It's so multifunctional, ne?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 17 & 18 will be posted together. 

{{the following end note was written for the original posting runs to the Mailing Lists and hasn't been edited to reflect the final uploading to fanfiction.net since it was accomplished 12 hours later}}

This evening's posting run was *supposed* to be dedicated to all the lovely people who have left me incredible, tremendously supportive feedback at fanfiction.net with a nice long list of names of those responsible for making me smile, too! Unfortunately, it was down this evening and I'm not even sure when I'll get a chance to upload the new Parts there before I fall asleep at the keyboard. Arghh!! My fanfiction.net fans will be *so* unhappy and I feel just dreadful about it! 

{shudders with fear at the reaction of those loyal souls who only want a little taste of angst at the end--or the beginning in some cases!--of their day and will have to wait until the archive is back up to get more of the damp Angst-fest entitled "Cold November Rain", then the llama shrugs and goes forth once more bold in his exhaustion}

Oh well. In the meantime, allow me to turn my attention elsewhere for this dedication. 

Looking back in my inbox to see who has sent me kind and supportive words directly since the last list of marvelous direct respondents, I see several names I can always count on for kind words and some new ones, too! Therefore, tonight, I dedicate this posting run to the following wonderful people as well as those who wrote to me but AOHell ate their words before I got them. Damn, but I hate when that happens, don't you? 

Thanks and Pocky go to: Kitsu-chan (who likes my medical stuff! which is good since there's more on the way!), Ami-chan (who is sweet enough to forgive me for being out of touch with her, out of touch with reality, out of touch with whatever, she's forgiven me and I feel better), Diana (who is beyond "wonderful" and rapidly approaching goddess-hood since she's so darling!), Ryoko (my koi, my kitten, my friend!), Yachii (who complained that I wrote too much, but I think that was to be taken as a compliment?), An old friend who knows who he is even though he's saving this to read later, bearilou (also a friend of that adorable guy who's reading this later), Nebula Omega (did Neb see the salute to her/him in last night's posting run?), Portia (who wisely chose brownies to bribe me with, yumm!), DragonSoul (who is *always* special!), Yanagi-sen (who liked her dedication! sugoi!), and Rubious (who is easily one of the most supportive people in my life! thanks, dude!)! 

Arigatou, gang, especially those of you who send me something after each posting run! It helps more than mere words can say!

As soon as fanfiction.net is on-line at the same time I am again, I'll try once more to get that list of names for a dedication here. I hope the readers there will forgive the lack of new fic tonight, but I'm sure the admins needed to do something important to take away our connection on a Friday night like this. 

{shrugs again, looks unconvinced at 4:00am his time and then goes to post this to the regular ML's without a clue in the world as to when it will post at fanfiction.net and still feeling apologetic about it}

Take care, everyone! I'll hopefully be back soon with the answer to the now burning question the ending of Part 18 left us with! After all, if I of all people promise you a "life-or-death struggle" you just *know* I'm going to deliver, now don't you?

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is too tired to even *think* about the new twist Melpomene added to the rough draft earlier this evening! it's just too late--or is it too early?--to think in such a convoluted fashion as well as wondering which medical references to check to make the plot line that the Grecian beauty has in mind realistic in the first place!)

Posted 02 February 2002 ~4:30pm 


	19. Life-or-Death Struggle

Attention Fanfiction.net Friends:

Believe it or not, I'm back tonight to post more of the fic that has so many wonderful readers following it that even though the headache won't leave, neither will the guilt associated with not posting here as promised. Therefore, I ignore the pain as best I can and bring you more of the fic that a few people are apparently rather fond of.

{smiles at all 100-plus lovely reviews as of the night if posting and feels deeply honored to be here at all}

Before we get into the story itself, may I thank each and every one of you who sent me notes privately or posted encouragement here regarding both my migraine attack and the other unfortunate event which brought me down recently? While the headache isn't much better partially due to my youngest Chibi being suddenly ill this morning and most likely needing a trip to the doctor's tomorrow, I'm pleased to say the other angst is no longer a problem. As always, the fan community has come through for me and after being told to "keep on keeping on" by some of the finest friends a hairy South American pack animal could dare to hope for, I feel ready to face the world again. I wish I could write each of you a nice long letter about how great the notes were, but for now, why don't I post the fic instead and try to get caught up on my mail later?

By the way, Part 20 was created specifically in response to so many kindly worded and supportive requests for more on what was happening with our other assassin team and I wish to thank those writers again. I hope that they will enjoy seeing what they asked for and that it will put a few fears to rest even as it foreshadows any number of things for not only *this* story but also other installments of the "Redirecting Destiny" series.

{smiles a little and takes some more migraine medication before going off to try to get a tiny bit of sleep before the elder chibi needs to go to school and the doctor's office opens for the younger one to be seen at}

Thanks again for the comments on my "intermission" post that was previously posted here as Part 19. It is now gone and those who read the reviews here later may be confused by our fun and games, but so be it. I wanted to share a few plans for the future on a temporary basis and now that I have, we can go back to the story and pretend it was never there, right? 

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who mentions he has Parts 21-24 completed in rough draft form on his zip drive and will return to working on new parts as soon as he gets his daughter's health issues taken care of since the poor thing has something icky happening with white spots on her tonsils and that just *can't* be good! ah the joys of single-parenthood, ne?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 19/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 0130-0200 hours ++

*****

The small dose of caffeine in the soft drink consumed hours earlier had faded from Yohji's system as time crawled past for the former detective currently on the most important stakeout of his life. 

Concealed in the supposedly secure ICU, the wire-wielding assassin shoved a rogue lock of lackluster blond hair out his eyes and made a mental note to take an extra-long shower as soon as things settled down again. He wrinkled up his nose and decided he needed to have a chat with Kritiker's cleaners regarding the process they'd used to destroy the evidence of the manslaughter he'd committed the morning prior, he could still smell the blood and Ken never had a problem with that. As it occurred to him that his brunette lover would've taken better care of his garments than the main office did, he sighed deeply and tried not to think about it too much, it left him feeling even more depressed than he already was.

A crackling noise in his ear got the jade-eyed man's attention as a quiet yet deep voice asked, "Still awake, Balinese?"

Yohji chuckled tiredly as he reached up to adjust the communications device that Weiss relied on so heavily that finding them within the pockets of the cleansed trench coats seemed only a matter of course and not the surprise it might've been otherwise. Toggling the microphone to "on" he muttered equally quietly in his own smooth baritone, "Barely, Abyssinian. I don't think Coke's got as much kick anymore as it once did."

Aya snorted in amusement from his location directly across from Ken's treatment room. The Weiss swordsman had found a spot between an equipment storage case and a rolling cart loaded with bed linens that provided him with a perfect surveillance location, allowing him a good view of Ken's unconscious form in the bed as well as the monitors above him. 

Yohji had taken up position in the unoccupied room next to Ken's where he could peer past the wires and see the brunette's face unobserved by the bored night nurse at the desk thanks to a curtain that hung from the ceiling as if to provide privacy that wasn't needed. With another yawn, he asked in annoyance, "Does that woman *ever* do anything other than sit there and do crossword puzzles?"

Stroking his long gold earring as he was apt to do when something felt fundamentally wrong with a situation, Aya responded distractedly, "She's been in there every twenty minutes, Balinese. That must be the schedule."

The blond man wasn't impressed, and he growled, "It's a damned good thing Kenken's doing all right at the moment, she'd never know it if anything went wrong at this rate."

A tingle shot through Aya's spine as if a low-intensity lightning bolt had rocketed through the intensive care unit and before he could chastise his lover for tempting fate by saying such things all hell broke loose.

Alarms rang, lights flashed, and it was clear even before a preprogrammed voice alerted the nurse at the desk that the one and only patient in her care needed assistance. The woman looked up, blinking stupidly for a split-second too long for the pair of battle-hardened assassins who had lain in wait for just such an emergency.

"FUCK!!" Balinese exclaimed, fighting his way past the curtain that was now putting up a fairly good show of resistance as he tried to shove his way past it.

Abyssinian, however, was silent as he sprang from his location and leapt across the floor landing at Ken's side in less than a heartbeat. 

"Siberian?!" The scarlet-haired man shouted as if the injured teen in the bed could somehow hear his plea and tell him how to help. Realizing there was no way to be certain other than reading the monitors he'd been staring blankly at, Aya took a closer look and found all of them that showed vital signs were falling into the danger zones yet he couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.

"KEN!!" Yohji screamed, bursting through the door before the nurse had even finished pushing the button to call for emergency assistance and she remained unaware of the two additional men in her patient's room. "What happened, Aya?! What's gone wrong?!"

"How the hell should *I* know?!" 

Aya's voice was as close to panic as Yohji could recall hearing it and there was suddenly a gasp from the door as the nurse rushed in and froze in the presence of the pair of apparently dangerous men, exclaiming, "Who are you?! What have you done to the patient?"

"*We* haven't *done* anything to him, woman!" Yohji growled angrily, "What's wrong with Ken?! Why are the alarms going off?"

"He isn't breathing," Aya's once more dead-calm voice interrupted and drew their attention to Ken's immobile chest before swinging his attention to the monitor he now knew was the key and seeing that the equipment had undergone a catastrophic malfunction.

"Damn!!" The nurse cursed then pushed her way past both men to begin tugging at the respirator mask on Ken's face explaining, "The respirator has stopped! I've got to get this off of him!" 

Yohji wanted to push her away and do it himself, yet he held himself back, terrified jade eyes glued to a heart monitor which showed an increasingly irregular rhythm being detected. "Hurry up!" He commanded urgently.

"I'm trying!!" The woman was nearly in tears as her fingers fumbled with the over-tight straps and the excessive amount of adhesive tape holding it in place. Tears came to her eyes as she realized her patient was suffocating because she couldn't do her job when it was most needed, and she begged, "It's stuck!! I can't get it off!! Help me!!!" 

Yohji rushed forward to take over, but then he wisely grabbed the woman by the waist and backed away when an ice-cold voice commanded, "Stand back!"

With one gloved hand firmly placed over the nurse's mouth so she wouldn't scream and throw Abyssinian's aim off, Balinese watched as the razor sharp katana which had shed the blood of countless dozens of criminals danced and sang as it worked to remove the deadly breathing apparatus. It was a truly astounding sight as the light of a dozen blinking monitors was caught then reflected by the curved tip of the blade as it sliced to-and-fro, sparkles like fireworks flinging themselves everywhere as Aya worked with a precision surgeons alone could usually claim.

In the span of mere seconds, the Weiss swordsman had freed the mask of the inoperative respirator and Ken was able to get air yet had not begun breathing again on his own and violet eyes flashed in command to jade ones. Balinese nodded firmly and pushed the frightened and immobile nurse away from himself and quickly removed the breathing tube from Ken's throat so that he could begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 

Aya slid the katana into its scabbard within the inner folds of his trench coat and kept the useless nurse out of the way as the sounds of running feet barreled into the ICU along with shouts that indicated help was finally on its way.

The frantic young doctor running ahead of a squad of medical professionals froze in her tracks at the sight of the two leather-clad men in the tiny ICU room with a half-fainted nurse held in gloved hands. The blond man currently breathing for the patient seemed like some strange dark angel who had descended to Earth for the sole purpose of keeping the brunette alive. The scarlet-haired man was utterly cold and emotionless at first glance, simply glaring at the doctor before growling threateningly, "What took you so long?!" 

The angry words broke the spell and both the nurse and the doctor came back to awareness and with clipped words and gestures, explanations were offered and observations made. 

Now that competent help was at hand, the pair of assassins-cum-rescuers stood aside as far as either was willing to go while an increasing flood of personnel rushed to continue the work of getting oxygen to Ken's only functional lung even as a second respirator was brought in and activated. Luckily, with Yohji's efforts to keep the injured man's blood oxygenated, the heart rhythm had steadied enough that there was no need of electric shock to reestablish a reliable rhythm. Yohji caught Aya's grateful glance out of the corner of one eye and returned it with one of his own, yet they said nothing.

The intensive care unit was a whirl of motion and noise, commands issued and followed, and before long, Abyssinian and Balinese seemed to simply vanish among the multitude of medical personnel scurrying about.

*****

Security guards appeared at least fifteen minutes after the doctor and other emergency response personnel arrived and began asking questions. The night duty nurse had been given a mild sedative and was being questioned by one of the guards when an orderly in OR-magenta scrubs wandered past pushing a cart of bed linens with moderate difficulty.

"How many were there and what did they look like, miss?" The guard asked for what seemed like the thirteenth time since he'd interviewed numerous other people as well. So far, he'd determined there were between two and five men involved with hair colors as varied as platinum blond to jet black and skin colors equally diverse. The only thing the eyewitnesses agreed upon was that they wore dark leather and seemed to be dangerous men, but that told him nothing. Either way, the fact that the hospital's security had been imperiled meant he needed to have a report for the police and so far it was a frustrating endeavor. 

She whimpered and asked, "Why does it matter? They saved that boy's life when *I* couldn't!" Her wails distracted the man from the squealing of the cart going past and he failed to note that the young man pushing it had on heavy motorcycle-style boots instead of standard-issue hospital shoes.

"Need a hand with that?" A pleasant-looking young man with a thatch of bright orange hair and wearing an orderly's uniform asked the blond pushing the cart.

Yohji looked up from where he thought he'd made good on his escape and saw someone he really did *not* want to see regardless of his elation at seeing Ken's vital signs stabilize nicely. Trying not to growl angrily, he forced a smile then said in a poor approximation of an Osaka accent, "Naw, I got it just fine, thanks." 

The orange-haired youth just grinned eagerly and sidled up beside him and helped push anyway even as he whispered, "Ah, but I insist, Balinese!"

"Stay the fuck out of this, Calico," Yohji snarled in an angry hiss and could've sworn he heard the rasp of a katana being thumbed free from where Aya hid in the cart's load of linens.

"No can do," the freckle-faced youth grinned insouciantly, then added, "Persia's orders. He figured you two might pull a stupid stunt like this."

Forcing himself not to simply throw the insulting hazel-eyed nineteen year old against a wall the way he so richly deserved, Yohji kept his temper as well as could be expected and gritted between his teeth, "If we *hadn't* just pulled that 'stupid stunt', Siberian would be dead, Calico! This is *Weiss'* business not *Grün's*, so just stay the fuck out of it!"

The orange-haired boy shook a finger at the elder assassin and insisted, "Ah, ah, ah, Balinese! Watch your temper, now. You know for a *fact* that you might've just put Weiss at risk with an idiotic move like that! So be a good little," he paused so he could emphasize the next word insultingly, "*florist* and accept my help before things get worse, all right?"

Yohji utterly despised the Scottish expatriate who led the new group that Kritiker had been grooming to join Weiss in the field. He didn't much care that Persia felt they needed another team to employ on their overseas missions, yet there was little he could do at the moment about it except go along with the brash young man. 

"Fuck off, Calico!" Yohji hissed again, certain now that he had heard the sound of Aya's blade being loosened and he knew that his scarlet-haired lover wouldn't tolerate much more from the rude interloper.

"Fuck yourself, old man!" The Scotsman snarled in response even though he kept pushing the cart forwards dutifully, a helpful yet completely false smile across his face in case anyone was watching them. Knowing that Yohji had no choice he added with a sneer, "Face it, Kudou, you and that little group of 'flowerboys' of yours are yesterday's news! My team is Kritiker's future, and you know it!"

"I don't think a group of gaijin Wunderkinder is what Japan needs, brat," the blond man insisted even as he spotted the exit he had chosen to extract both himself and the older of his two lovers from the current hazardous situation. [1] 

Calico merely laughed at him while giving a friendly wave to a nurse who rushed past before remarking acidly, "Did you think that we were assembled for something as trivial and unimportant as *Japan* alone, Balinese? If so, then you are a greater fool than I had suspected!" With a final rough shove, he placed the cart beside the door that lead to the smoking porch outside the intensive care unit waiting room and then he added in a dismissive tone, "Go on. Go back to the posh hotel room Persia wasted his money on and fuck your boyfriend. A dog like you probably needs a good screw right about now to calm down, don't you? Or is Abyssinian not half the *man* that Siberian is in bed?"

Yohji growled low in his throat and fingered the release mechanism on his watch, eager to see his wire drink the blood of the arrogant youth who had just insulted not only his two lovers but his homeland as well. Unfortunately, he knew that if he killed the Grün bastard right then and there, he and Aya both would face Persia's wrath and as long as they needed the Kritiker leader's financial backing for Ken's recovery, it wasn't worth the risk.

Turning fury-filled jade eyes towards mocking hazel ones, he growled, "This isn't over, you little shit!"

"Oh yes it is," Calico insisted with a laugh as he stepped away from the cart and went to blend back into the chaos that had overtaken the intensive care unit with a jaunty wave and an arrogant swagger in his step.

From beneath a covering of faux-used sheets, the cold voice of reason spoke.

"Get us out of here, Balinese." Abyssinian's tones were as icy as always, yet they held an edge that hadn't been there before as he added quietly, "Don't let him get to you, Yohji. He's not worth it."

Blond hair shook with exhaustion and barely restrained fury as the older man agreed, "I know, Aya, but he just makes me want to beat that stinking grin off his face."

"So do I," the scarlet-haired man agreed with a snarl, then he asked, "Is the coast clear yet? I want to get back to check on Omi and Nagi."

Forcing himself to concentrate on what was most important, Yohji looked around and saw that they were alone, then said simply, "Yeah, it's clear. Let's get the hell out of here."

A lean form draped in a burgundy trench coat rose from within the white hospital linens and then dashed towards the door to freedom carrying a hastily rolled up set of navy blue leathers in its arms. With one last frustrated sigh, a slightly taller form raced after him, grumbling to itself, "You're wrong, Calico. This is *far* from over!"

The pair vanished into the night headed back to the Hilton and the only other two people that either man could afford to give a damn about right now. If Manx and Persia expected them to work with a self-centered, inexperienced, and ultimately dangerous brat like Calico, they couldn't be trusted as completely now as they once were.

On a hill above the city, temple bells rang out a song that told those who knew how to understand it that it was now 2:00am and the cold November rain continued to fall relentlessly.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] "Wunderkind" is an internationally used term that derives from German, a composite of the words for "wonder" and "child" which means a precocious child who functions at a higher level than those his age usually do and adding "-er" simply makes it plural. Oddly enough, it is also translated as "prodigy" and isn't *that* an auspicious coincident that those of you who enjoy foreshadowing might want to keep in mind for later installments in the "Redirecting Destiny" series?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 19 & 20 will be posted together. 


	20. Conflict and Resolution

Title: Cold November Rain [part 20/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 0530-0600 hours ++

*****

In another part of Tokyo, a worrisome day gave way to a restless night and it wasn't much of a surprise when a dark-haired man was jostled from slumber as his lover tossed and turned in their bed, before coming to rest facing away from him.

Reaching out to run his fingers through the sleep-tangled red mane of the man beside him, Crawford asked quietly, "Are you all right, Schu?"

The German hated to answer and wanted to pretend he was actually asleep, but he knew better than to try that, the American knew him only too well and would most likely only be annoyed with the delay in getting an answer. With a sigh, he answered softly, "It's nothing, Brad, go back to sleep."

Crawford moved to curl warmly against his lover, his bare chest warming and being warmed by Schuldich's equally naked back, a nonarousing sharing of body heat and a physical expression of their shared affection. "You know I can't do that if you're worried about something," the brown-eyed man said and nuzzled the side of the telepath's neck before adding almost hopefully, "Is this about the Ferrari being missing?"

Schuldich snorted softly and said sarcastically, "Oh, of *course* it is, Bradley! I *always* lose sleep worrying over Estet's toys and where I left one of them." The muffled chuckle in his ear indicated that his message was fully understood and he continued with another sigh, "It's about Nagi, as if you didn't know."

"Ah, of course," Crawford responded and felt a coldness enter his heart. 

He had tried not to become angry with his partner the previous evening when the German began harassing him about wanting to violate the cautionary vision and try to locate the missing telekinetic. The precog had finally lost his temper and had accused his lover of having a lack of faith in him as well as a problem following orders, something which he as the leader of Schwarz could not tolerate. 

Understandably, the emerald-eyed man had stormed out and gone in search of loud music and a drink. 

After being gone for several hours, the telepath returned smelling of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and sweat after dancing himself out of his anger. When Crawford had tried to approach him to talk, Schuldich had waved him away, went to shower alone and found several excuses to "drop" the shampoo and conditioner bottles to make noise that he knew would annoy the headache-prone American. After stomping into the penthouse living room in only a bathrobe, he'd flatly stated he was going to bed and should anyone wish to speak to him it could be done the following morning, he wasn't in the mood for it then. 

Crawford had looked up from the newspaper he was reading and would have responded, but his Irish teammate spoke first.

Farfarello had already slipped out of his ultra-lucid state and was sitting on the couch munching on a box of Life cereal and watching Alton Brown's "Good Eats" on Food Network when his friend had come out and he'd glanced at him and asked innocently, "Schu? Where's Nagi? He usually likes this show."

An expression of sadness had crossed the older man's face and he walked over to drop a hand on Farfarello's shoulder understandingly and offered, "I wish I knew, Farf. Don't you remember that he disappeared this morning?"

The amber-eyed man had thought about it for a moment then nodded slowly, "Yeah, I guess I sorta do, but I thought maybe he came home and no one thought to tell me about it. Things happen that way sometimes."

Damp red hair had twitched as Schuldich shook his head in negation, "No, I'm afraid not, but as soon as he *does* get home, I'll make sure to tell you, okay?"

"Okay," Farfarello had agreed then added unhappily, "I'm worried about him, Schu. Are you worried, too?"

"Of course I am, Farf," the German had shaken his head slightly then sent a scowl towards his lover and added with annoyance, "But Crawford says we can't go hunting for him yet. Something about one of his visions saying it would be a 'bad thing' and all that crap!"

"Oh?" His single eye had gone wide with surprise and the Irishman stated loyally, "Well, if Oracle says we can't do something, then we can't, I guess. Too bad, I'd like to go find Nagi. Make sure he's all right and not all wet and cold from the rain. He could get sick again." 

The diminutive telekinetic had an unfortunately low resistance to the everyday stress and strains he faced in part due to his difficult childhood on the streets of Tokyo, since homeless Japanese children didn't always get the medical care they needed. But there also seemed to be some underlying weakness that was aggravated by heavy use of his powers, a fact that worried Schuldich quite a bit and since the midnight-eyed youth was missing he had no idea if that was the case currently or not.

The troubled blade-expert then shoved a handful of cereal into his mouth and turned his attention back to the screen where the food-loving scientist was demonstrating how to bone a whole chicken using a model of the skeleton of a T-Rex to explain the poultry's bone structure. [1] He'd pointed to the screen and asked distractedly, "Can Nagi and I cook that for dinner sometime, Schu? It looks fun."

Schuldich had laughed softly and gave his friend's shoulder an affectionate squeeze and answered, "Sure thing, Farf. As long as that guy's going to make something decent with it *and* you follow the recipe this time! I almost died that night you substituted habañeros for jalapeños in one of his Mexican dishes."

The Irishman had looked up at him with an expression of innocent agreement and shrugged, "I'm sorry, I thought they were the same thing, Schu. But I'll be more careful." He'd taken a breath that turned into a sigh as he thumbed the VCR to life and began taping the program as he added, "*And* I'll wait for Nagi to get back. That way I won't screw up."

"Sounds like a plan," the telepath had agreed before turning away to cast a glance at the silent brown-eyed man that was a mixture of sadness, worry, and residual anger over being held back from going in search of the boy they were all concerned about. Letting a low sigh escape his lips, he'd said simply, "I'm going to bed." He'd then turned around and walked away, resisting an urge to send a gentle mental urge to his lover to join him, even if they didn't talk, at least he wouldn't have to fall asleep alone. 

Despite the lack of invitation, Crawford had reached up to adjust his glasses with one hand as he set aside the paper with the other and announced, "I'm going to bed, too. Farfarello? Did you need anything further this evening?" The fact that the amber-eyed man had been contentedly munching on cereal again indicated his mood was most likely a stable one and the precog didn't feel as if he might need to monitor him too closely for a change.

"I'm fine, Crawford," Farfarello had said with a dismissive wave of his hand, then he turned and added knowingly, "But if I start feeling weird, I'll let you know. Without Nagi here to help me I know better than to risk letting myself lose control."

"That's very wise of you," the leader of Schwarz had granted him a rare compliment and then added, "Sleep well, Farf."

"You, too," the younger assassin had answered and then returned his focus to the unfolding scenes of culinary exploration on the television screen.

Soon the tall American had slipped into the loose silk pajama bottoms he wore when he was trying to resist the temptation that the naked European man in his bed was without Schuldich ever even trying to be seductive. Sex, of course, was out of the question after such a tense evening, but sleeping together in the literal sense might give them both some much needed reassurances. With a quiet sigh, the younger of the two had rolled over and nestled himself against the former boxer's well muscled body and had fallen asleep fairly quickly, tired from the exertion of dancing and the long day of worrying. 

But that had been hours prior to the pre-dawn conversation that they were sharing now and he finally remarked unhappily, "Damn, but I wish the kid would at least *call* or something! I mean, he's more powerful than *I* am with that TK of his, so he really *ought* to be fine wherever the hell he is, but would it be so hard to pick up a phone?" [2] 

Crawford didn't even try to suppress the small chuckle his partner's remark inspired, it was just too funny to hear the often acid-tongued redhead acting like a worried, whining mother. Letting the soft amused noise rumble up through his broad chest and reverberate against flame-red hair in the darkness, he commented, "You sound like a character off one of those dreadful black-and-white reruns Farf likes so much." He felt his lover chortling quietly in return and he added, "But June Cleaver was never as se--" his words trailed off and he suddenly inhaled sharply, then froze, eyes wide and staring at nothing anyone else could see.

Sensing the shift, Schuldich quickly rolled over and wrapped his arms around his lover, silently projecting strength through the duration of the precognitive vision he was experiencing. 

With a shudder, the black-haired man seemed to fall back into himself almost too quickly and he ran a trembling hand across his eyes as he muttered angrily despite the onslaught of a headache, "Damn! That was too short! I didn't see enough!"

"See what?" The telepath asked with curiosity, it was rare that the American actually seemed to want to extend an experience like what he'd just had, the longer the vision, the greater the headache that was to follow. Moving to prop himself up on an elbow so he could gaze down at the man beside him he added more urgently, "Was it about Nagi? Is he okay?"

"Yes and no." Crawford sighed and rubbed at his temples, explaining, "Yes, it *was* about Nagi, but no, he's definitely *not* okay, or at least he won't be sometime soon. It didn't look serious, but I think he was in a hospital and he seemed to be laying on a gurney."

"Fuck!!" Schuldich exclaimed, impotent fury rising as he bit back the automatic comment that he wanted to go find the sable-haired psychic right then and there and make sure the boy was safe. Instead, he asked, "What did you mean about it not looking serious? Did you get an image of a doctor talking about his condition or anything?"

"No, it wasn't that," the older of the two said as he frowned, brows drawing closer together as he tried to explain, "There wasn't any blood or bandages showing, and I'm fairly certain he'd only passed out, much like he did yesterday morning, but it's hard to say. As for how far into the future this is, I really don't know, but it seemed not too far. Perhaps today, for that matter."

"Damn it all!" The younger of the two cursed again and gave in to the need to express his frustration by saying, "I can't *stand* the idea of him being out there wherever he is, possibly all alone and maybe hurt! Shit, Brad, let me at least *try* to get a feeling for him, please? Just let me see if I can pick up even a small trace. For all we know he's unconscious already and shouldn't we *do* something about it?"

"No, we shouldn't," his partner answered and added, "Besides, what good does it do to see if he's passed out right now or not? It's not as if we can do anything about it. Plus, that vision was of the future, not the present, I can tell."

"It would help me to stop worrying for one thing," Schuldich asserted hotly, then pleaded, "If he's sleeping right now, he'll never know and it can't possibly change the future, can it?"

Reaching for the bottle of aspirin he kept by the bed for emergencies such as this one and then swallowing several of the pills dry, the precog answered with a soft sigh, "All right, go ahead, but keep it *very* light and don't try to communicate with him. Let me 'piggy-back' on the search and leave no traces, understand, Mastermind?"

For once, the German was more than pleased to be called by his Schwarz code-name since it meant he was being given permission for the search at a level he hadn't dared to hope for. With an almost ecstatic expression, he nodded acceptance of the limitations then leaned over and kissed the other man briefly, then slipped back into the American's arms and closed his eyes, asking, {{Ready, Oracle?}}

{{Yes, but remember, use caution, Schu,}} Crawford sent back, settling himself deeper into the pillows and holding his lover close, their physical proximity making their mental merger easier. 

{{Absolutely! He won't feel a thing, I promise,}} the telepath answered and then took a calming breath and sent his mind wandering. The light mental sweep reached past Farfarello's noisy, blood-spattered yet somehow playful dreams and out into the night. 

Schuldich ghosted past hundreds of people from all walks of life as he sought the "flavor" as he called it of their youngest teammate's thoughts, knowing he would be drawn to those familiar to him most easily. He paused ever so briefly as he detected someone he recognized, a complex "flavor" like iced raspberry tea with mint, and he asked, {{I've found Abyssinian. Do you want to listen in? He seems rather disturbed about something and is definitely *not* sleeping at the moment.}} [3] 

{{No, we don't have time to waste being voyeurs, Schuldich,}} Crawford chastised more gently than the words would imply, {{Keep hunting for Prodigy.}}

{{Aye aye, captain,}} the telepath agreed easily and continued his search. He didn't mention the others he recognized, the mellow café latte "flavor" of Balinese slipped past, as did the light, innocent French vanilla that seemed to sparkle on his mental tastebuds that was Bombay's. The fact that Siberian's usual pungent and honest ginger wasn't detected fit the precog's earlier vision and the telepath didn't give it any thought, not caring in that moment whether the claw-wielding assassin was alive or dead.

In a distant corner of his mind that wasn't connected to that of the man holding him close, Schuldich reflected on how pleasant yet complicated the "flavor" of his lover was. Crawford might have hated knowing it, but to the German psychic, his thoughts were like dark chocolate mixed with brandy, intoxicating, rich, and unexpectedly hiding a sweetness that would have appalled the American had he known about it.

Distance and proximity meant nothing to the searching telepath, but familiarity did and it was amazingly reassuring when he next detected the subdued and somehow pensive toasted almond that was associated with Nagi's thoughts. With an overwhelming sense of relief, he pulled Crawford's awareness into the "flavor" and sent, {{Found him.}}

{{So I see,}} the American sent a feeling of relief back to the man who was extremely cautiously probing the outer edge of the telekinetic's dreams and he added, {{Sleeping peacefully it would appear?}}

{{Yes, thank goodness,}} Schuldich responded with delighted lightness in his "voice" then he began to carefully draw away from Nagi's mind, hoping he hadn't done anything to be detected, yet wanting to allow Crawford to see that he would follow his orders despite not liking them. Of course, if he had been given a choice, the redhead would have opened a more full contact with the missing boy and tried to determine where he was and his situation. Yet, simply knowing he was okay was enough and he closed the connection fully before slipping back into himself totally and laying quietly in his lover's arms once more.

{{Happy now?}} The brown-eyed man asked the tired redhead he cradled close to himself, letting his own appreciation for the telepath's efforts slide through his thoughts and into those of his partner.

{{Yes, very much so,}} the German answered with a yawn that shook him slightly and he added, {{Thanks again, Brad, for letting me do that. I'll still worry because of that new vision of yours, but at least I know he's okay right now.}} He didn't add how much more he wanted to know and the fact that he felt frustrated by not having a chance to discover it since this was too obvious.

{{You're welcome, Schu, but that wasn't just for you, of course,}} the American found that he, too, was yawning, an atypical lassitude seemed to be calling the pair back to sleep. {{I may not show it much, but I'm as concerned as you are by this. I just happen to realize what's at risk more clearly than you do and won't gamble that we can outsmart fate by denying the warnings of the visions.}}

{{I know and I'm sorry I've been such a pain in the ass about all of it.}} Schuldich's tone certainly didn't sound contrite as he added, {{But until Nagi's back here where he belongs, I'll keep worrying about him.}}

Crawford nodded and drew his lover tight against him then rolled them to lay spooned together on the bed once more. He didn't bother to agree or disagree, the conversation had reached an end and he allowed sleep to carry them both into her velvet depths. 

The issue of just where, exactly, Nagi truly belonged wasn't as clear as the slumbering couple believed, of course. The young Japanese psychic had given his heart to a member of Weiss yet part of his soul remained attached for better or for worse with the men of Schwarz. 

The eternal stress of family ties versus romantic ones would plague the youth for months to come and it would take the involvement of a third group of assassins to bring the issue to a shattering resolution, one that wasn't necessarily what any of them wanted at this point. Compromise wasn't the forte of any of the eight assassins of Schwarz and Weiss, yet they would all certainly have to learn it if they wanted to survive.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] I don't recall the title of the episode this is in, but this really *is* part of the show and my kids pointed it out to me one night saying Farfie would love seeing Alton "playing with knives and a dinosaur" and I had to agree. This is an excellent program to watch if you enjoy learning a bit of science while laughing at the host's delightfully irreverent remarks and seeing some fairly easy recipes take shape. Gee, who knew the Llama liked cooking shows? Um, almost all of his GW fans who've read a few of his food-oriented fics, maybe?

[2] "TK" is a common abbreviation in paranormal research for telekinesis as I am discovering helping my eldest chibi with a research paper on poltergeists. Hmm, manifestations called by a German name that involve the possible telekinetic powers possessed by teenagers? Why is this sounding familiar all of a sudden?

[3] The idea that Schuldich recognizes the "flavors" of people's thoughts is based on that great line in the series about them tasting like honey. As to the "flavors" given here, they were all selected carefully so as to fit the images of the characters in this continuity more than anything else and I hope they don't seem too strange to anyone.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 19 & 20 will be posted together. 

Special Announcement: This evening's posting run is dedicated to a very special friend, the one, the only, Zania, the Lemon Princess!!

{gets out the Official "Festooned Flag of Friendship" and waves it about gladly letting the many colors unfurl in the glow of the light of your monitor}

Now the bragging begins. 

{genki smile} 

My beloved Zania has gone out of her way to make my life a happier one throughout the release of this story and who surprised me with what was easily the sweetest gift I've received in a *very* long time! Just the other day she sent me an illustration of the scene in the ICU waiting room where Omi falls asleep in Nagi's arms and it was positively the most kawaii thing I'd seen in ages! My Chibis loved it, too, both giving a classic fangirl squeal of, "Awwww!! They're so *cute*!!!" Of course, then they urged me to run out and buy one of the color cartridges that I usually don't mess with for budgetary reasons ASAP so they could print it out and put it in their lockers at school. I've received precious few illustrations for *any* of my 70-plus works of anime-based fanfiction and since I'm so well known for basing fics on pics, I've always found this rather puzzling. Then again, it also means that on the exceptionally rare occasion that one arrives, I tend to go bananas about it, so here's a serving of "crazy fruit" for you, too!

{huge smile of pure delight about all of this}

Since I was in worse migraine pain last night than I am now, I couldn't string together the words to thank Zania for it and ask permission to share it with you immediately, but I've sent a special thank you "song and dance" to her this evening that included a request. If she says yes, I hope to quickly find space on someone's web page to post it and will share the URL right away. If she'd prefer that it remain private that's fine, too, and I'll be forever grateful all the same.

{keeps smiling and wonders if fanfiction.net has an image posting capability to compensate for his own egregious lack of a web-page, doesn't know, and doesn't have time to go find out right now}

Other wonderful things Zania has done that I'd like to take this opportunity to brag about include all the fabulous works of fanfiction of her own which you, too, can go worship and adore at fanfiction.net under pen name "Lemon Princess". She's also taken the time out of her busy life to send me interesting notes about various things we don't need to go into here.

{smirks at Zania and whispers "Gig 'em, Aggies!" fully expecting a response of, "Go, Longhorns!" then bursting into ex-Texan chuckles}

Last but never least, Zania is the kind of friend that lovingly lets me know what she'd like to see more of in a fic and this really helps. Never a demand that I "must" go throw a given pair of bishounen into bed together nor a whiney plea for "more, now, right now, I don't care if you feel bad, give me fic to read!" Instead, I get gentle notes of adoration for the guys and quiet points about what could use a second look in a future story or whatever. To me, *this* is what feedback is all about! To hear what a reader truly enjoyed in a story and that they want more! The only WK fan who can hold a candle to Zania for this most marvelous of abilities is the darling Yanagi-sen, who received the last solo posting run dedication and will get a giftfic later this Spring. 

Hmm, come to think of it, Yanagi-sen got not only a posting run dedication but also has a giftfic in the works, whereas Zania has already received a full fic dedication for "Romantic Resolutions" and a posting run dedication here. Does anyone besides me see a pattern here?

{looks at the audience hopefully, then yawns and feels tired and goes off to post this at the MLs before reformatting for fanfiction.net and collapsing into a pile of exhausted, headachy, worried-about-his-poor-sick-chibi llama}

That's it, folks! The "long-awaited-by-Melpomene" introduction of the leader of Grün as well as a look at the remaining residents of the Schwarz penthouse! I hope you enjoyed the angst and will eagerly await more of the story as soon as Lauren feels better and I can edit more of it. In the meantime, send me a note, okay? I'll probably not get a chance to answer it if I'm lucky enough to be able to write or edit, but you know I'll read it and as long as it is kind and supportive, it'll only spur me to get more out faster, ne?

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is dying of curiosity to know what the readers think of not only Calico but also the way Brad and Schu interacted! damn, but writing new-to-the-author bishounen is *so* much fun!)

Posted 05 February 2002 ~4:30am


	21. Gentle Start to a Difficult Day

Title: Cold November Rain [part 21/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 0700-0740 hours ++

*****

When Nagi awoke once more, he did so to a completely novel experience which he would discover he enjoyed every bit as much as he had hoped he might.

Blurry midnight blue eyes slowly opened to a dimly lit yet elegantly appointed room, but it wasn't the expensive furniture around him that caused a warm smile to blossom on his alabaster face, it was the angelic presence beside him which did. Laying beneath a warm comforter, scrub-clad arms and legs intertwined with his own, was a blond boy whose soft exhalations in sleep seemed more melodious than any orchestra Nagi had ever heard. The reassuring motion of the other teen's chest as air moved in and out of it was hypnotic and the telekinetic simply sighed happily and cuddled closer.

Barely still asleep since his body clock told him it was seven and time for school, Omi sensed the motion against him and stirred slightly.

Regretting that he'd awakened his sleeping boyfriend, Nagi tried to loosen his grip on the older boy's body only to find himself being pulled back into place firmly as a voice asked quietly, "Where're you going, Nagi-love?"

Nagi smiled as large cerulean eyes fluttered open and gazed across the few centimeters between his face and that of the one he loved before he assured softly, "I'm not going anywhere, koi. I just didn't mean to wake you up, that's all."

"You didn't wake me," the Weiss archer answered before yawning a little. "I usually get up now for school. Even when it's a holiday, I still wake up automatically. But why are you awake? You were so terribly tired last night, why aren't you sleeping in?"

"I can't 'sleep in' even if I try," Nagi admitted with a sad sigh, yet didn't mention that Omi was right, he did indeed need more sleep. "I was having some really weird dreams and it was easier to just wake up than to keep trying to get through them."

Omi was concerned by this, his own dreams had always brought him both joy and sadness yet on occasion they held warning for events to come as they did for almost anyone, Crawford's precognitive abilities simply being those natural talents multiply a thousandfold. Reaching up to brush some of Nagi's hair out of deep blue eyes, he asked, "What were you dreaming about, love? Would you like to tell me about it?"

Nagi paused and thought for a moment. Usually when he was bothered by dreams he couldn't understand or didn't want to have, he would talk to Schuldich about it, his German teammate always more than glad to help him try to sort out his feelings and try to keep things in perspective. He was certain that Omi wanted to do the same for him, but it wasn't as easy since he only had to let the telepath see inside his mind to gather the information he needed yet his boyfriend would need to hear about the images secondhand.

One thing neither teen could take into account since they were totally unaware of it, was that Nagi had not slept as undisturbed as he thought he had. The brief telepathic contact with Crawford and Schuldich had occurred at roughly the same time as the strange dream had begun. Even though the two psychic visitors had gone to great lengths to remain undetected, their presence may have influenced the images in the sleeper's mind, there was simply no way to know for certain.

Misunderstanding the brief silence, Omi frowned then forced a smile as he urged, "I don't mind hearing about it, Nagi, really I don't. No matter how weird they are, it can't be any worse than my own." He shrugged slightly and tried not to think about some of the most confounding images from his own dreams which included strange young men who called him by a name he didn't recognize. 

Realizing he'd been remiss in answering, the Schwarz telekinetic spoke softly, "I know you want to help, Omi-koi, but I don't know how to explain what I saw." He frowned a little then said, "The one dream that I kept having over and over was really odd. I was alone and running, I'm not sure if I was running *to* something or *from* something, but I knew I had to keep running no matter what. I thought I heard voices, too."

"Oh?" Omi was intrigued by the rare look inside his lover's dreamlife, Nagi was a complex person whose past tainted so much of his present that it was easy to see how the images he was sharing could've come from memory or perhaps they meant something more. "Whose voices were they?"

"I'm not sure," Nagi admitted and then smiled unexpectedly, sharing morning thoughts like these while wrapped in his beloved's embrace was something that he'd never imagined could be so heartening. Thinking it over a little, he added, "I think I heard you and maybe Yohji-kun, but it seemed like Schu was there, too. And Crawford, maybe, I'm not too sure about him, but the other thing that got to me was that it was dark."

Cerulean eyes looked puzzled as the older teen asked, "Do you mean it was dark like it was nighttime?" 

"No, I mean like totally dark, like I was blind or something," Nagi's smile faded and he shook his head at the impossible concept he was trying to express and tried to deny the dream by saying, "See? What did I tell you? It doesn't make any sense. If I was blind, then how could I have been running?"

Omi was thoughtful as he answered, "I don't know, Nagi-love, but dreams can be very powerful. Just because they make no sense at first doesn't mean they aren't trying to tell us something."

"Maybe," the diminutive psychic agreed hesitantly, then his smile returned as he changed the subject by saying lovingly, "I really like waking up like this, koi. It's nice to be in your arms first thing in the morning."

Warmth spread through Omi's thoughts and into his heart as he pulled the too-slender boy closer, the embrace becoming one neither wished to end yet knowing it was only a matter of time before it did. 

Running his hands up and down Nagi's back comfortingly, Omi said, "Oh yes, I like it, too, Nagi-love. I'm just sorry it had to be because something so awful happened yesterday." Sighing deeply, he released the tension in his arms slightly so that Nagi could pull back and receive a tender kiss from him before he completed his thoughts, asking, "Do you still want to go with me to see Ken-kun today? It would be nice if he has woken up by now, wouldn't it?"

Nagi felt sadness wash over them both as they were reminded of their injured friend and they both moved subtly closer once more, seeking reassurance that each was truly present for the other as they prepared mentally to face another difficult day. After brushing a brief kiss to Omi's neck, the telekinetic answered quietly, "Yes, koi, I'd very much like a chance to get to see Ken-kun, but only if it's still okay with Aya-kun and Yohji-kun. They need as much time with him as possible, it seems to me."

Omi sighed deeply, nodded and then said, "That's true, but I also believe that it would be good for Ken-kun to know you're here, love. I think you underestimate how much it will mean to him that someone other than just us are here for him." The usually genki youth remained somber as he explained unhappily, "Ken-kun doesn't have a lot of friends besides us and the kids he teaches soccer to. Of course, they're too little to come visit him in a hospital and we'll go to a lot of trouble to conceal what really happened to him so they can see him later, but right now, it's just us. So knowing you're here will help him, I'm sure of it."

For once in his life, Nagi tried hard to believe the complimentary things someone was saying about him. A childhood spent on the streets followed by years of the abuse that Estet called "training" had left him unsure of his own worth despite a number of people's words to the contrary. 

The Japanese member of Schwarz had never believed the pedophiles who took advantage of his body so casually as a child when they said he was beautiful and it had taken Omi long hours of effort to convince him it was true when their relationship had turned physical. 

Nagi's intellect had likewise been prostituted by those whom Crawford had delivered the telekinetic to and despite having excellent grades in school, he continued to believe himself less than the gifted soul that he was. Farfarello during his most lucid moments often engaged him in debate and tried to prove to the overly humble boy he had more to offer than computer hacking skills and his extraordinary mind-over-matter talent. 

Schuldich was quite concerned about the boy's reclusive nature, trying to draw Nagi into social events from time to time as well as encouraging him to take an interest in the things kids his own age did for fun, yet his words fell on deaf ears. If the German had actually known that the boy he cared so much about had found someone special he most likely would've been thrilled about it, except for the specific detail regarding who the boy's paramour was, of course. 

However, on this morning after one of the greatest tragedies Weiss had ever faced as a team, Nagi lay in a hotel bed wrapped in his beloved's embrace and did his level best to believe he could make a difference for the chocolate-eyed man they were so worried about. After trying to find a way to say what he wished more eloquently, he finally simply said, "I hope so, koi. I'm glad that you'll be with me when I see him, too. I'm not always comfortable speaking to people even when they *can* talk back to me, I have no idea what to say to someone who can't."

Omi gave him an encouraging smile and a hug before saying confidently, "I'm sure you'll do just fine, love! I think it's more important that we just talk to him more than exactly what we say. As long as we tell him we're there and we want him to get better, everything ought to work out for the best." After the previous day's guilt and sorrow, the Weiss archer was making a massive effort to be more upbeat about matters and refused to add any caveats regarding Ken possibly not surviving at all.

Nagi regarded his lover with hopeful eyes and might have even asked to hear more of the reassurances he was finding strength in when his stomach growled. 

Looking embarrassed, he glanced at the clock and tried not to notice the tiny grin Omi was fighting as he asked, "Do you want to go get some breakfast with me, Nagi-love? I'm hungry, too."

"Um, well," trying to put it off in favor of staying in bed with his boyfriend after their first entire night together, one which had been entirely chaste due to the circumstances which had brought them together the day before, Nagi stalled only a moment before the noise came again.

Laughing quietly even as he nuzzled the abashed youth, Omi made the decision for them both by announcing, "Well, *I* need something to eat! Let's go see what room service has for breakfast, okay? I bet they have lots of different kinds of food and I'd love some bacon and waffles." After placing a last kiss on his boyfriend's lips, he scrambled out of bed and tugged at the now rumpled surgical scrubs in annoyance before proclaiming, "I hope that Manx doesn't forget to get some clothes for us at the Koneko. I know I saw our assassin's gear here last night, but I don't want to wear that all day, those shorts make me look like a little kid."

After thinking to himself that he rather enjoyed the sight of his boyfriend in the adorable loose shorts, Nagi reluctantly crawled out of bed, too, and frowned as he brushed at the rumpled scrubs he was still wearing and asked curiously, "But what am I supposed to wear today, Omi-koi? I didn't see my school uniform with the leathers and everything." He finger-combed his hair and silently wished for a toothbrush, but clothes were the first order of business.

Omi considered this as he went to the closet to retrieve the soft terrycloth robes the hotel provided for the wealthy patrons who ordinarily paid exorbitant rates for the suite they were in and then moved to drape one warmly around his boyfriend's too-slender form. Silently delighted by how cute the petite telekinetic looked in the oversized white robe, he said aloud, "Don't worry about it too much, love. You weren't with us when we first arrived at Tokyo General yesterday morning and that's when Kritiker took our stuff. Maybe Manx had someone come for yours later and you'll get it back soon?" He slipped his own robe on and added with a gentle smile, "In the meantime, you can wear some of my clothes if you like, Nagi-love. If they bring a couple sets of things there should be something of mine that fits you, don't you think?"

Surprise tickled Nagi's mind as he considered wearing his boyfriend's clothes in public and how the other members of Weiss might react. Before he knew it, a dusting of rose was scattered across his pale cheeks and it didn't take words for Omi to know his offer had been accepted.

With a gentle laugh, Omi moved to take Nagi by the hand as they prepared to walk out of the room and into the living area unaware that the two elder assassins had been out during the night. He gave the younger teen one last tender kiss and then he reached for the door knob saying quietly, "We ought to keep our voices down in case Yohji-kun and Aya-kun are still in bed, love. Think they got enough sleep to make up for the rest they missed night before last?"

Nagi shook his head, "I have no idea, koi. I don't remember even getting to bed last night myself. Either way, I hope they did, it's apt to be another long day."

"That's true, unfortunately," the cerulean-eyed boy agreed dispiritedly, opened the door and led the way towards the first challenge of their day.

*****

As the pair of teens stepped quietly into the living area of the suite, they both froze as they saw who was unexpectedly there ahead of them.

Sitting in a chair staring morosely out the door to the balcony, Aya kept a brooding vigil over a white-robed figure silhouetted against the rainy sky and surrounded by a sooty cloud of cigarette smoke. The violet-eyed man's hair was damp from a recent shower and he ignored a bead of water that slipped free from a red velvet lock and trailed down his neck to disappear on his bare chest beneath the white terrycloth. While it was clear he'd been up for awhile, there was nothing about the Weiss swordsman that spoke of rest much less sleep. 

Afraid of interrupting something, Omi started to turn around, intending to lead his boyfriend back to their room so they could decide what to do, Aya's deep voice called quietly to them, "You can come out now, Omi, Nagi. I already heard you there."

The scarlet-haired man hadn't turned from where he continued to stare at Yohji who was outside and looking distraught for reasons the boys wouldn't discover for some time, yet he then continued by saying, "Manx sent a courier over with some clothes for us, Omi. They're over on the couch if you want them." An ivory hand gestured behind himself as he added belatedly, "Oh, and Nagi? Your uniform was cleaned and it's there, too."

"Arigatou, Aya-kun," Nagi said quietly, unconsciously adding a polite bow to his words before he could recall that such formality wasn't necessary around the men who were once enemies yet were now unexpectedly becoming the closest of friends.

Omi cleared his throat nervously, then decided to bravely risk asking the wrong thing by inquiring, "Aya-kun? Has something gone wrong for Ken-kun?"

Violet eyes blinked as the question sank into the swordsman's mind and he finally turned towards the two teens and frowned slightly as he shook his head, "No, there's been no news on Ken since I called a few hours ago. There's been no significant change since last night."

A sense of dread touched Omi's heart as he felt more than heard the caution in the older man's voice, but he pursued the matter, stepping closer to his teammate and asking, "What happened last night, Aya-kun? Please tell me." He glanced at Nagi who was frowning slightly and added quickly, "'Us'. I mean, please tell *us* what's going on? Why is Yohji-kun out there alone? He looks so unhappy right now."

Aya shook his head again in negation, scarlet earlocks twitching around his face even as he refused to answer, "I can't really tell you that just now, Omi. I think that it would be best if we let Yohji say what he feels he wants to about his own issues. As for Ken, well, why don't I make some more coffee and we can talk about it." He rose gracefully and Nagi winced internally at the sight of a long, recently-healed scar across Aya's left calf where Farfarello had gotten a little too enthusiastic while following Crawford's orders to keep Abyssinian out of the way while he himself escorted Reiji Takatori from a building.

A slight frown marred ivory features as Aya realized what the Schwarz psychic was staring at and then he broke the uncomfortable moment by saying in a conciliatory tone, "Don't worry about it, Nagi. It's all part of the job."

"I know, it's just…" 

Nagi's words were interrupted by the older assassin who stated firmly, "I mean it, Nagi. Don't worry over the injuries Schwarz and Weiss have exchanged in the past. You are no more responsible for them than Omi is for any your teammates carry from us." He gave both boys a look that told them now was not the time to argue and then he added firmly, "I'll make coffee. We'll talk in ten minutes." Without waiting for them to acknowledge his orders, the scarlet-haired man turned to the task of making them something hot to drink. 

The two teenagers knew a dismissal when they heard one and went off to discover that one of the many amenities the suite boasted was an assortment of much needed toiletries in the bathroom. They silently prepared for the upcoming conversation and hoped against hope that there wasn't any truly devastating news to be shared, yet between Yohji's distance and Aya's closed nature, there would be no way to know until it was too late.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 21 & 22 will be posted together. 


	22. Coffee, Conversations, and Concerns

Title: Cold November Rain [part 22/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 0750-0855 hours ++

*****

By the time Omi and Nagi had brushed their teeth and generally gotten themselves cleaned up as much as they were going to without showering, Yohji had decided to come back inside in search of warmth, finding it in the cup of coffee Aya handed him wordlessly.

The lanky blond disconsolately leaned against the wet bar and sipped at his mug without speaking to his violet-eyed lover who had returned to his earlier occupation of studying him from across the room. This was no innocent game of "Yohji watching" for the younger of the two, however. Whereas Aya didn't know the full story behind the conflict between Balinese of Weiss and Calico of Grün, he knew enough to keep his own counsel until the former detective cared to discuss it with him willingly. In the meantime he intended to remain close at hand should the subject arise and with the impending return of the two teens it seemed likely.

As Yohji tilted the mug back and drained the last swallow, a fairly restrained alto greeted him, "Good morning, Yohji-kun." Omi's pleasant smile seemed cautious as he and his boyfriend walked into the room and he glanced at Aya who immediately rose from his chair, face an expressionless mask once more as he moved silently to begin pouring coffee for them all.

Yohji seemed to transform as soon as he realized the younger assassins had rejoined them. A warm and welcoming smile grew on his face and he slipped his eternally present sunglasses to the top of his head and he greeted almost jovially, "Ah, good morning, my fine bishounen! Did you both sleep well?" 

"Yes, thank you!" Omi answered with a low-level genki smile as he reached for Nagi's hand and clasped it briefly before saying, "We both slept well, Yohji-kun. What about you? Did you and Aya-kun sleep okay, too?"

Startled by his lover's reaction to the question as Aya's usually rock-steady hand slipped on a newly-filled coffee mug and it fell to the countertop, the lanky blond ran a hand through loose shoulder-length hair and answered with a shrug, "No, Omiitchi, I'm afraid it wasn't exactly a great night for sleeping for either of us." He worriedly glanced at Aya who was studiously ignoring all of them as he incautiously wiped up the scalding hot fluid only to discover it was suddenly cleaning itself up, flowing directly into the sink courtesy of Nagi's powers which brought a towel over to finish the task. 

Both of the older men gazed at the telekinetic with some concern that he ought not to overuse his powers in this fashion, but the psychic's eyes hadn't darkened appreciably and it didn't seem to affect him much as he explained, "This happens all the time at home. Some mornings Farf can't get a bowl of cereal to the table without leaving a trail of milk for me to clean up. Not that I mind, of course, it's just hard for him to realize that when he's shaky it makes a mess."

"I see," Yohji commented, regretting that he could indeed see exactly how that could happen and feeling a sense of commiseration with the Irishman he didn't want to experience. Eager to not get too much of an insider's view of the enemy's home-life, he returned to the prior subject, saying, "As for last night, well, why not grab your coffee and we'll sit down and talk about it. Aya and I had a bit of an adventure that we want to let you in on before we go over to the hospital around nine."

Aya kept watch as Nagi's telekinesis finished the job of cleaning up the mess quite handily and then the scarlet-haired man turned to the more mundane task of pulling an assortment of Danishes and pastries from a bag the Kritiker courier had delivered along with the clothing. Dropping a few unceremoniously onto a platter, he walked towards the other three who had clustered around a table in the nominal eating area and he set it down without explanation before sinking into a chair. 

The simple activities of working in the suite's substitute for a kitchen had reminded the scarlet-haired man of the person who would've been providing the same services on a normal morning at the Koneko. Ken wouldn't have been as careless as he had been with the coffee mug neither would he have served the pastries in such a jumble, but Aya simply didn't have the finesse with such things that the brunette had developed. Disturbed amethyst eyes focused on the tabletop for a moment as the Weiss swordsman forced himself to stop reminiscing about the injured nineteen year old and returned his thoughts to his concerns about the twenty-two year old who sat nearby.

The youngest member of Weiss continued to observe his violet-eyed teammate with concern knowing it took a lot to distract Aya as totally as he obviously was, yet also realizing that he wouldn't ask more uncomfortable questions if he could avoid it.

The Schwarz telekinetic seemed pleased to simply sip a cup of coffee in peace compared to the usual playful harassment he received from Schuldich when the redhead deigned to get out of bed early enough to see him before school. It was mostly just the German's way of staying in touch with the boy, he respected the teen's need for privacy yet he still worried like anyone else would about someone they care about. But Nagi wasn't usually a "morning person" and he didn't appreciate being told day after day that fish for breakfast was "unglaublich," a word which should have only meant it was hard to believe yet somehow the slender telepath always made it sound disgusting. 

Then again, the sable-haired teen was currently totally at ease with his boyfriend so close by and it was a welcome respite simply to quietly relax with him near.

The eldest assassin present had already abandoned the issue of why his lover had atypically spilled a cup of coffee the way that Aya had when Omi had posed his innocent question about sleeping the night before. Instead, his focus was on the watch on his wrist, thoughts wrapped around the deadly wire within it. 

During the sleepless night which had seemed to drag on longer than it truly did, Yohji had been plagued by memories of the day before and thoughts about the two men he'd come to cherish, both of whom were now suffering because of ill-fortune and poor planning. His mind's eye had been filled with flashbacks of Ken's torn and inert form on the drug factory floor and worse. The recollection of Aya's agonized expression as he placed his burgundy trench coat around a dark-clad body which dripped blood all too freely brought a deep stabbing pain to Yohji's heart. The eldest member of Weiss truly did blame himself for all that had gone wrong, unwilling to admit even to himself that perhaps Omi had indeed made a mistake in his research.

With a deep sigh of regret, the jade-eyed man continued to be mesmerized by the thin filament within the band on his wrist and for the first time in a long time, he considered giving up his current position in the war against evil. The price of revenge and justice seemed too high when it might include the life of the former J-league player who had taught him to treasure simple pleasures.

Selecting a gooey almond-encrusted pastry from the platter and nibbling on it for a moment, Omi finally broke the silence and asked, "Yohji-kun, weren't you going to tell Nagi and me what happened last night with Ken-kun?"

"Hm? What was that, Omiitchi?" The older blond looked up, his lack of focus causing him to miss all but a few key words.

Across the table, the scarlet-haired man stroked his long gold earring and tried not to allow his growing concern regarding the dangerously distracted nature of his lover to show on his face.

Omi looked puzzled as he tried to make up for his teammate's lack of attentiveness, saying, "I assume it's nothing too horrible or we wouldn't be sitting here eating breakfast instead of being at the hospital, but I'd really like some details. Please?"

The diminutive telekinetic had been drawn into the complex unspoken conversation by this point and he caught himself wishing Schuldich was there so he could silently whisper an inquiry to see if the German telepath understood what was going on. As it was, though, he kept quiet and sipped his coffee before noticing the muffin sitting meaningfully on a napkin in front of him and despite not knowing which of the other three had placed it there, he ate some dutifully.

Yohji nodded his understanding of the question and gathered his thoughts behind yet another swallow of coffee then answered, explaining at length virtually every event of the previous night with one notable exception. Not a word was said about the presence of the Grün agent and the omission was immediately noted by the man's lover yet Aya didn't say a word, only allowed a slight darkening of the scowl that was already marring his handsome features. In that moment, he realized that there was clearly a deep problem to be dealt with regarding the Scotsman in the future or they might risk the blond's ongoing distraction to continue with potentially lethal results. 

Without truly knowing him, Abyssinian was developing a sincere hatred for Calico, something that, unfortunately, wasn't misplaced in the least and when he discovered the truth for himself in the months to come, it would explode into homicidal rage. 

After the discussion ran its course, the group agreed that as soon as the two teens had a chance to get showered and changed, they'd walk back to Tokyo General arriving in plenty of time for visiting hours in the intensive care unit to begin at 9am. 

The usually taciturn Aya remained typically silent, yet all three of the others made note of his apparent unhappiness and hoped to get a chance later to ask him privately what was wrong. He never gave them the opportunity, though, and by the time Yohji would be alone with him later--and he was willing to talk--there would be other much more urgent matters to contend with first.

*****

When the foursome arrived at the intensive care unit's waiting room dressed in street clothes, Manx was waiting for them. 

She looked up from the computer in her lap that she was checking before turning it over to the elder blond that was approaching. It was all she could do to keep from saying that she thought Nagi looked simply precious in a set of Omi's clothes there were too large for him, the cuffs of khaki pants turned up and too-long blue cotton shirt sleeves rolled up at the wrists. Instead of commenting on that, she chose to offer, "Good morning, guys."

With a slightly forced smile since he was already becoming nervous about being back in the waiting room again, Omi answered for them all, "Good morning, Manx. Is everything going okay here?"

"As well as can be expected," the woman said noncommittally then added, "Ken's condition hasn't changed and they'll let us know when they're ready for the first visitors. That'll be you and Aya, right, Yohji?"

"Of course." The green-eyed man shrugged and asked, "Is that for me, Manx? Does Persia still want a preliminary report?" 

Large cerulean eyes blinked in curiosity and Omi asked, "Why are you writing that instead of me, Yohji-kun? That's usually my job."

Yohji turned to smile at his teammate and said reassuringly, "That's okay, Omiitchi, I think I want to take a shot at it this time. There'll be a need for a full report later that you can handle if you really miss the extra work." Then he added in a more restrained voice, "Besides, it'll give me something to do besides sit here and go nuts waiting, you know?"

"I know," the Weiss archer answered with an understanding yet sad smile. 

"Thanks a lot, bishounen," the eldest member of Weiss shared a look of encouragement with the youngest and then turned towards the redheaded woman with an angry frown as he said, "May I speak with you in private, Manx? There's a little matter from last night that needs to be dealt with."

Sighing and nodding, she set the computer aside and then brushed the creases it had caused from her skirt and gestured towards the smoking area with one hand, saying, "I have a pretty good idea what it is you want to say, Yohji, but sure, we'll talk."

"Do you want me to come?" Aya offered unexpectedly. He had barely spoken a word since his earlier cautions to Nagi not to feel guilty about the past violence between the two assassin groups and it had seemed as if he wasn't even paying attention to the discussion in the waiting room but obviously he had.

Yohji turned towards him with a thoughtful expression yet he finally shook his head and said apologetically, "Thanks, but no, Aya. I think that this ought to be just between us two." A grateful half-smile crossed his lips as he got a silent nod of agreement from his lover and then he said, "Let me know if the nurse comes for us, okay? I don't want to miss a chance to see Ken first thing."

"Understood," Aya answered almost tonelessly in what they all recognized as Abyssinian's "mission voice" before moving to a wall and propping himself against it, arms crossed over his orange turtleneck-clad chest and eyes closed as if sealing himself away from the world.

Sighing deeply and regretting that things were always harder than they needed to be when Ken wasn't around, the jade-eyed man turned and walked from the room Manx following automatically.

Nagi peered questioningly at Omi who looked back at him with a heartsick expression on his gentle face. 

The telekinetic asked in a quiet voice, "Now what, koi? Do we stay here and wait or are we supposed to go somewhere else? I, well," midnight blue eyes darted from the door the elder pair had exited through over to the silent man leaning against a wall and back to his boyfriend before he added helplessly, "I'm confused by what's going on. Maybe it would be better if I went home?"

"No!" Omi said urgently in a low voice, reaching out to place a desperate hand on Nagi's arm. "Please don't leave, Nagi-love! I'm confused, too, but I don't want you to go if you don't have to. Remember what I said about it being important for Ken-kun to know we aren't the only ones here for him? *He* needs you to stay and so do I!"

"If you're sure?" Nagi asked uncertainly and got a firm nod in response and agreed. "All right, I'll stay, Omi-koi, since you asked me to, but I really do wish they'd tell us what's going on. It's weird to see Yohji-kun and Aya-kun acting like this."

"I know, it's kind of freaky," Omi admitted and was glad that the scarlet-haired man was ignoring them totally, Aya's face a mask of deep thought that was almost prayerful in its intensity. Then the blond teen looked back at his boyfriend and half-smiled, "But until they want to tell us about it, I guess we just wait."

The sable-haired boy nodded slightly and responded, "I'm good at waiting, I do it a lot for Crawford at times." He snorted softly and then remarked with forced humor, "But *he* never offered to play Yahtzee with me while I did it. Did you wish to teach me more of that game now, Omi? I thought it sounded interesting."

"Sure!" A glimmer of his normal genki personality returned and Omi gave Nagi's hand a quick, grateful squeeze and then they went to find a comfortable place to discuss the dice game. Before long, they were peacefully lost in rules and score sheets. 

From his spot on the wall, Aya had ignored almost all of the proceedings around him. 

Silently, he agonized over the fact that Yohji was shutting him out deliberately and he couldn't help but realize that if his and Ken's positions had been reversed, it was unlikely that the chocolate-eyed teen would've been excluded this way. There was no sense of jealousy in the thought, though, just a realization that the claw-wielding assassin's ability to offer their elder lover unqualified support was greater than his own. 

Aya wrongly blamed himself for Yohji's distance. The katana-wielding assassin's cool exterior was in fact only a façade that hid a tortured soul which needed release in some form before it slowly and surely destroyed itself from within. Whether or not it found freedom from some of the pressure before it became too much to bear would remain to be seen and, as had always seemed to be the case for the deceased banker's son, it would depend on forces far beyond his control. 

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 21 & 22 will be posted together. 

All right, team, this is a bit weird, but this evening's posting run is dedicated to my youngest chibi, Lauren, who isn't even reading the story for obvious reasons (she's 12, the rating is "R", you do the math) because she was a real trouper today despite feeling like hell and let me get more fic ready for you to enjoy!

{quietly slips into the child's room, drops a tender kiss on her slightly-hot-with-low-grade-fever cheek, brushes some dark strawberry blond hair from her forehead in time for heartbreakingly lovely ice blue eyes made famous in the "Secrets Arc" for GW to open slightly as she peers up, then smiles. the llama quiets her with another kiss then departs to return and type more at an insanely late hour of the night, glad she's with him when she's sick so she's assured a parent at home all day which ain't gonna happen elsewhere}

I'm sure I don't need to give a list of reasons for dedicating anything to one of my darling daughters, yet I want to mention that if she hadn't been brave today, you would be seeing nothing at the MLs and yet another "intermission" note at fanfiction.net! And that would've been depressing for all of us, ne? As it was, though, when the doctor's office informed me that they aren't seeing sore throat patients until the symptoms lasted a full three days, she pouted for only a moment then sighed and nodded, promised to read more for her Science project if she could watch "Trading Spaces" and then went off to do just that. On a normal day, if she was *this* cooperative, I'd be suspicious, but she was tired from feeling "icky" and seemed content to relax on the couch with either a llama-approved TV program or her schoolwork for once. 

{smiles, thinking of his daughter who drives him nuts most of the time and the way she pointed out that Lex seemed to reserve a "special smile" for Clark alone on "Smallville" tonight which made him atypically go, "Awww! Kawaii!"}

Granted, by this evening when I was cooking a large batch of homemade beef stoup with tons of fresh veggies to help aid her recovery, she was bored and I had to come up with a story off the top of my head to amuse her. However, it turned into a Fei-Tro angst/romance fic idea which might be a good way to return to GW fandom when this fic is done, so I owe her for that, too. All in all, she's still sick, the doctor's office will see her tomorrow if they know what's good for them, and with a modicum of luck, I'll be able to not only edit tomorrow but write as well and that makes this dedication even more heartfelt!

{stops gushing over his progeny and turns to the fic itself for a few notes before crashing and burning again, yet the moment he decides what topic is next, he gets a *very* wicked grin on his face}

Last night, something fairly radical happened in this fic, ne? No, no, no! I do *not* mean that Brad and Schu didn't go farther than they did, I mean Calico's arrival, of course! 

Ah, he really *is* bad news, isn't he? Nineteen years old and apparently thinks he's invulnerable to deliberately bait Balinese *and* Abyssinian both the way that he did, ne? I know he seems like a jerk and a bastard, but you don't know the half of it yet! There will be more about him coming up soon, but I'm sad to say it will be awhile until his true evilness is fully exposed, by which point any number of readers may try to find *me* and kill me for creating him in the first place! 

In the meantime, however, feel free to blast him to tiny bits in email or comments at fanfiction.net that lets me know you're enjoying what one reader called "a villain I can love to hate". As long as it's obvious you don't despise him simply because he's an original character--something that is almost unavoidable for the villains since Weiss was too good at killing all of them in the series!--then you can bet what you say will only encourage Melpomene to keep going here! I've got big plans for the Scottish brat as well as his partners, so thanks in advance for your support!

{happy grin about having new pawns to play with soon}

Also, on another wonderful front, I heard back from Zania {stops and hugs the Lemon Princess warmly, she's *far* too good a person to be friends with a lowly llama!} and she's already got that adorable pic she drew for me on her web-page!! 

Yes sirree, now you, too, can go take a gander at the wonderful little (Nagi + Omi) moment from this story and feel some of the warmth I felt! It's at the URL that I'll list in a second but let me warn you, this comes with a "delighted sigh" warning on it, so unless you are located somewhere that it is safe to make such a happy little noise, don't open it. For example, if you are actually a spy breaking into a place that has sophisticated noise-activated security, don't take a look! You will no doubt see it, make a happy "Aww! Kawaii!" exclamation and end up getting caught, ne?

http://www.ichigotenshi.com/colorless/zania/Nagi_Omi.jpg

Oh, and after you see it and discover that it is indeed delightful, why not drop her a note and let her know you love it too? Her email address is [ichigo_tenshi@yahoo.com] and I'm sure she'd enjoy hearing how much you liked looking at it. 

{huge yawn and a glare at the clock that says it's almost 4am, Casa de Llama time}

Well, enough is enough! 

I'd hoped to try to get some thank you notes out today, but after all the sick-child-angst, I was just lucky to get more fic ready to post! I hope you've enjoyed a peek at Nagi and Omi in bed within the story and will forgive me for remaining out of touch for yet another night. I sincerely hope to be back with Parts 23 and 24 tomorrow night, but we'll have to wait and see how Lauren's appointment goes. If she's actually more sick than I think she might be, there may be some silence from this end as I get her taken care of and continue to nurse my headache, and for that I apologize in advance.

Take care of yourself and I hope to see you here at the Angst Theatre again soon!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is positively *thrilled* that so many people enjoyed the (Brad + Schu) moment last night! that entire scene truly *was* created in response to the kind words of support that have been given and if at all possible, a lovely lemon in a different story within this continuity for them will follow!)

Posted 06 February 2002 ~4:15am


	23. Hidden Memories Foreshadow Sorrow

Title: Cold November Rain [part 23/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 0845-0900 hours ++

*****

Standing outside the hospital in the now familiar smoking area near the intensive care unit, Manx had her arms crossed self-defensively and waited for the storm she knew was coming.

Yohji glowered at the dark clouds that continued to plague Tokyo and then turned towards the woman and demanded angrily, "What was that asshole doing here last night? Calico said that Persia sent him, is that true?"

The redhead nodded but didn't smile, she wasn't happy with the situation either. "Yes, he did, Yohji, but I had nothing to do with it or I would have requested a different operative. And the reason he was here was to insure that Siberian was receiving proper medical oversight, Persia didn't want to risk losing him because someone here was slacking off."

The lanky blond man snorted angrily and snarled, "Fuck that! The people here worked their butts off to keep him alive yesterday, you know that as well as I do! They wouldn't have left Ken alone to die no matter what happened!" Anger boiled within him as he questioned, "What was the *real* reason that bastard was here last night? He claimed it was to protect Weiss' security but the key people here already knew we're Kritiker operatives, what kind of security risk was he talking about?"

"I have no idea," Manx answered honestly then pleaded with him, "Look, Yohji, I've spoken to Persia about this and he seems to think that we needed to do more to protect Ken than we would be by leaving him here without someone from the office keeping an eye on things. As to what Calico told you, I have no idea *what* he's talking about, his only assignment was to monitor the ICU staff and Siberian's condition."

Snorting angrily, Yohji turned away from her and growled, "That lying little brat! I should've known he was just saying that to get under my skin!"

The woman gazed at his back apologetically and then asked, "What's the deal between you two anyway, Balinese?" A suspicious expression crossed her face and she added, "You didn't seem to have any problems with him until that training session you and he had in Hokkaido alone a few weeks ago. Did something happen there you want to tell me about that wasn't in your report?"

"It was nothing," Yohji answered in a strangely lost and hesitant voice that contrasted starkly with his earlier anger. 

He was quite certain that something terrible had indeed occurred during the weekend he had spent in Sapporo with the man he was so adamantly opposed to. Yet memory of that period of time was oddly fuzzy and the former detective couldn't honestly say what it was. The fact that he couldn't remember such recent events should have been his first indication that there was something horribly amiss, but something Yohji was unaware of was blocking him from coming to that realization.

Then the heat returned to the wire-wielding assassin's words and he added darkly, "Nothing *specific* that is. Calico's bad news, Manx. Persia ought to get rid of him while he can."

Startled by the shift however brief it may have been, she shook her head and said, "But Yohji, I can't make a recommendation like that without something to back it up. Do you have some evidence against him? Something solid? Otherwise, this just sounds like a personality conflict to me."

"He's too slick to leave evidence, Manx," the jade-eyed man answered with a snarl and insisted, "but I'm absolutely sure he's hiding something. He's got some kind of plan for Grün that isn't what Kritiker has in mind. But if you won't trust my judgement on this, why even ask?" 

Manx sighed and felt defeated. She wanted to take Yohji's word for it and move against the Scotsman, but Persia had been adamant about having the orange-haired man lead the new international team for reasons she had never understood. Without evidence against him, there was little anyone could do to convince the leader of Kritiker to think differently, a fact that pleased Calico himself immensely since he'd worked long and hard to achieve his current position with motives he had yet to reveal. 

With another sigh, she answered, "I *do* trust your judgement, Yohji, it's just that this is so much more complicated than you realize and there's really nothing I can do without something solid to base it on."

Long blond hair shook in annoyance and Yohji reached for a cigarette and his lighter, remarking acidly, "Fine then. It's your funeral!" He gestured towards her with the unlit white cylinder and added vehemently, "Just keep him the hell away from me and my team! I don't want to see him anywhere *near* Ken, Aya, Omi, or me any time soon, understand? We've got enough to deal with right now without him in our faces, lying about what he is or isn't supposed to be accomplishing for Persia."

"Fair enough," Manx agreed with a firm nod, certain that a request of that sort could be granted as far as her office was concerned even though the hospital was a public building. If the hazel-eyed Grün leader chose to return on his own, she couldn't really stop him without causing a great deal of unwanted trouble.

After sucking in his first lungful of nicotine-laden smoke and thinking it over for a minute, Yohji added more calmly, "So, does Persia really intend to keep a 24-hour guard on Ken while he's here or was that just for the first night?"

The woman was shaken from her brief reverie by his words and she shook her head, "I'm not sure. I think it'll depend on his condition and whether or not you start getting some sleep. At the rate you and Abyssinian are going, Balinese, you'll both hit burn-out before too awfully long like Omi did yesterday and will need a guard yourself." In a gentler voice she added, "Or am I wrong? Did you get some sleep that you didn't tell the bags under your eyes about, Yohji?"

The man glanced at her and smirked slightly, a faint hint of his usual wry humor returning as he responded, "Of course not, but that's part of what my shades are for, Manx." He adjusted the sunglasses to ride a little higher on the bridge of his nose, effectively masking the tired-looking skin beneath exhausted jade eyes as he added, "See? Out of sight, out of mind, ne?" [1] 

"Very funny, Kudou," the woman sighed and half-smiled sadly. "I can't say that I blame you for not being able to sleep, but you need to try to get some rest today if you can. I can probably arrange for a room somewhere in the hospital that you and Aya can try to get some sleep in between visits to Ken if it helps?"

Yohji glanced at her with a soft look of appreciation in his eyes and nodded as he sucked on his cigarette, the nicotine helping to calm him as he had hoped it might. Blowing out a puff of smoke from the corner of his mouth, he accepted her offer, "Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea. It wouldn't hurt the kids to get some more rest, too, though. They both still looked pretty dead this morning and Nagi still seems to be dragging after yesterday."

"Say what? 'The kids'?" Ocean-colored eyes wide with surprise at the use of the term, she asked, "Since when are a couple of trained assassins like Prodigy and Bombay 'the kids', Balinese?"

Finishing his smoke and flicking the butt away, he snorted softly and answered, "Since they both need someone to take care of them as much as any of us do right now, Manx." He didn't feel like giving the woman a chance to comment on the needs of himself and his violet-eyed lover and added quickly, "Why? Didn't you think Omi and Nagi looked a little out of it when we got here?"

Stopping to think about it, she nodded, "Yes, now that you mention it, Omi certainly did. As for Nagi, well, I just met him yesterday, I'd have to take your word for it about him."

Yohji chuckled a little and agreed, "That's right, I kinda forgot that you hadn't seen him in person before that. I guess yesterday was such a damned long day it was more like a couple of weeks went by instead of 24 hours. Oh well, why don't we head back inside and see if it's about time to go check on Ken again? Last time I saw him, he still had a ton of white coats around him." He moved to open the door and held it open gallantly for the woman to precede him.

She accepted the offer and stepped back inside, temporarily surprised by how bright the lights seemed after too many minutes outside under the heavily clouded morning sky. The rain fell intermittently continuing its harassment of the citizens of Tokyo and making the false sunshine of the fluorescent lights above Manx seem more welcome than usual. Too bad they didn't bring the hope that actual sunbeams might have granted those who needed it so badly.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Ah ha!! I finally found a place to add one of my favorite theories for why Yohji wears those shades of his practically 24/7! If he was as involved in the club scene as many of us like to write him, then he'd have quite a few hangovers to cover up not to mention tired eyes from sleepless nights due to Weiss missions, too. Hence, after noticing the sunglasses almost always cover the part of his face which might give this fact away, I propose that this is partially why he wears them. Does this sound reasonable to you?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 23 & 24 will be posted together. 


	24. Possible Breakthrough

Title: Cold November Rain [part 24/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 0900-0920 hours ++

*****

As they walked towards the waiting room, Aya and an unfamiliar nurse walked towards them, the scarlet-haired man's face a silent mask of inquiry as well as concern which only Yohji or Ken could have deciphered. 

Manx turned towards the blond man beside her and said, "Go on, Yohji. I'll see about making some of those arrangements we talked about. I hope Ken's doing better."

"So do I," the blond man said and then walked towards the elder of his two lovers and said simply, "Let's go."

"Follow me, please," the nurse interjected, then added, "By the way, Nurse Yamanaka isn't on duty today, it's her day off. I'm Nurse Takeshi and if you have any questions, feel free to ask." [1] 

"Nice to meet you, Takeshi-san," Yohji offered cordially and said with forced humor he certainly didn't feel, "I'm Yohji and Mr. Talkative here is Aya. How's Ken doing?"

The woman smiled at him, pleased that such a handsome man wasn't as desperately upset as so many visitors to the intensive care unit were and answered brightly, "Oh, Hidaka-san is doing just fine. There was a problem with the equipment during the night, but that's all taken care of and his condition hasn't changed much since then."

Aya snorted softly under his breath at the very idea that what had occurred the night before was merely a "problem with the equipment" and not the near-fatal accident that it truly was. He didn't speak, though, he was still trapped in the morass of concern for Yohji whom he knew wasn't the least bit as relaxed as he wanted the nurse to think. Eyes focused on the floor as they walked, he missed the quick glance his lover threw at him which held a painful mixture of emotions that they both needed to sort out soon.

Forced to respond to the nurse's expectant smile, the slender blond allowed some of his own fears to show in his face and he asked with sadness, "Has there been anything to indicate if he might regain consciousness sometime soon?"

A frown twisted the corners of the nurse's lips down and she shook her head, "Not yet." Then her smile returned as they entered the intensive care unit and she added, "But patients always respond better to their visitors than they do to the staff when it comes to things like that. Just hold his hand and talk to him. Ask him to wake up and who knows? He's been out of surgery for over sixteen hours now so he just might respond soon."

"Is that some kind of magic number?" Yohji asked, stepping into Ken's room and feeling his heart tighten somewhat when he saw that his injured lover didn't look any better than he had around 2am. 

"Yes and no," the nurse admitted. "Basically, when a patient requires as much work as Hidaka-san did, it usually means they'll need at least twice as long before regaining consciousness as a patient who is undergoing a more standard procedure which would be eight hours. It's not a guarantee by any means, but it's helpful to know what is or isn't likely."

Yohji looked skeptical and simply nodded before mumbling a few words of thanks as she turned away from them in favor of putting paper into a recording chart in one of the monitors. Unlike Yamanaka, Takeshi wasn't as concerned about what the two visitors might or might not say to the patient, she was more focused on the technical matters involved following the previous night's potentially lethal equipment malfunction. The sloe-eyed woman busied herself amongst the machines and disregarded the men as much as possible.

Ignoring them both, Aya stepped closer to the unconscious teen and immediately reached out to gently caress Ken's face a single time, letting the warmth of suntanned skin reassure him far more than any inanimate device ever could. He bent close and murmured words of encouragement and love even as violet eyes critically observed the new respirator mask, pleased to note that it wouldn't pose a potential strangulation hazard as its predecessor had.

Once more confident that Ken wasn't endangered by the equipment that was supposed to be protecting him, the swordsman's attention returned to the once handsome face so close to his lips and it was all he could do not to express his sorrow verbally. The bruises and small lacerations that had formed around the brunette's nose and mouth after the near tragedy of the night before were technically his fault but it was that or let Ken die and Aya was able to ignore them fairly well. 

What affected the scarlet-haired man more were the deep purplish bruises on the skin underneath soft dark eyelashes that had been closed too long. The discoloration was what Dr. Egami had warned them about the day before and was intrinsic to the type of prolonged surgical procedure that had saved the teen's life yet had not guaranteed his survival. 

With a deep sigh that he didn't allow to be heard in his words, Aya spoke more firmly yet only for the injured man's unconscious mind to hear, "Ken, we're here for you and you're going to be fine but we need you to wake up soon." Forcing himself to keep putting words together to say what had been unsaid for so long before the traumatic previous morning, he added, "I love you, Ken. Wake up and let me tell you that, please."

A soft rustling noise penetrated Aya's focus and he glanced over to where Yohji was tenderly stroking Ken's unbroken arm where it lay above the sheet, careful of the IV needle taped to the badly discolored elbow. The expression of sorrow and need in unfocused jade eyes drew him from his own thoughts and he said more loudly so that his elder lover might hear him as well, "We're both here with you, Ken. Yohji and I *both* want to talk to you, see you smile again. So wake up soon, okay?"

Still sad yet deeply touched, Yohji gazed at the slightly shorter man who bowed his head ever so slightly before placing a sole tender kiss to an unfeeling forehead before moving aside so that the elder member of Weiss could approach and speak to the unconscious youth.

Aya slipped past Yohji, dropping a brief encouraging hand on his shoulder before stationing himself where he might watch over the two of them for the remaining few moments of their visit. Without thinking about it, he began to mimic the blond's earlier actions and soon he settled with holding Ken's surprisingly warm right hand in both of his own, thumbs caressing the tiny holes left in the skin across the back where IVs had been inserted during surgery.

Moving to lightly finger-comb some of the messy chocolate hair that spilled forlornly across the pillow beneath the injured nineteen year old's head, Yohji spoke his own words of encouragement and love in his usual conversational style. He greeted him warmly as if over the breakfast table, "Good morning, Kenken. You're looking better today, baby. Does this mean you're going to feel like waking up and saying 'hi' soon, I hope? That would be great, I mean, how much fun can it be to just lay there and listen to me ramble like this, ne?"

Unable to think of anything new to say, he talked about what was going on and hoped that on some level it might help his injured lover to hear how those he cared about were doing. "Oh, I got a surprise for you, Kenken. Omiitchi and Nagi are going to come see you next, won't that be cool? They're really looking forward to it and I hope that you don't mind the extra company." 

He chuckled softly more for effect than due to actually feeling happy about anything and corrected himself, "What am I saying? Of course you won't mind, you like those two as much I do, right?" His mood lightened for a brief moment as he mentioned, "They looked so cute together last night, sleeping cuddled in bed together like a pair of puppies. You would've loved seeing it." Yohji's throat unexpectedly tightened up on him as he recalled how often Ken would remark that the two blue-eyed teens made a cute couple, sprinkling discussions of the pair with the word "kawaii" so much that his elder lover had almost begun to associate the word exclusively with them. 

Forcing the lump in his throat back down, Yohji continued in a more serious vein and quietly pleaded, "Please get well soon, Ken-love. I miss you so badly and if you even just opened your eyes for a moment, I'd be the happiest man alive. Gods, the waiting is hard but for you I'd wait forever. I love you, baby, *please* wake up and let me tell you that again, won't you?"

A low gasp of surprise caught the blond's attention and he glanced at Aya inquiringly and the other man said in a disbelieving tone, "I think his hand just moved."

"What?!" Yohji's eyes went wide with hope and he straightened from where he had been bent over the unconscious teen's form, looking at where his two lovers' hands were clasped together on the sheet. Trying not to become overly hopeful, he asked, "Are you sure, Aya?" 

Amethyst eyes were filled with uncertainty and even as he was about to deny it, the sensation of tightening around his fingers came again and he quickly stated, "Yes!! I definitely felt something and it happened again. Look!"

Both men and the nurse as well turned their attention to where it was now obvious that Ken's hand was indeed clasping Aya's more than it had when it simply laid there limply before. 

Yohji quickly turned his head and spoke urgently to the man in the bed, "Ken-love?! Are you awake, baby? Oh, damn, but this is good news!"

"Um, Yohji-san?" The nurse interrupted and cautioned, "I wouldn't get my hopes up so much if I was you. Reflexive responses don't always mean someone is actually conscious, but it *does* mean he is beginning to strengthen somewhat. It's a good indicator that things are improving and I'll get the doctor to check him soon, but your time was up a few minutes ago. I just didn't want to make you leave too soon, but I think you need to go now."

"But I *felt* him respond," Aya insisted, unwilling to let go of the new hope they'd found. He glanced at Yohji with eyes atypically filled with obvious need and he urged, "Tell him you love him again, Yohji! That's when he moved. Try it again!"

Rushing to comply and not giving a damn about the nurse who was nervously looking at her watch, he avowed sincerely, "Ken? I *love* you, baby! Can you hear me? Are you coming out of this, sweetheart?" He looked expectantly at Aya but the other man's face had fallen and the soft smile of hope was gone as he shook his head.

"Nothing," Aya said, profound sorrow in his tone as he realized that Ken's hand was once more as lax as it had been when he had first gathered it into his own. Agonized violet eyes could barely lift knowing they would encounter saddened jade ones, but they finally did and he added quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Yohji assured and forced himself to smile once more as he added, "Even if it was only for a moment, I think he knew we were here."

The scarlet-haired man glumly nodded his head and retreated back behind his wall of silence once more, hiding from a sense of guilt that it had been himself to have felt their lover respond and not Yohji whose presence apparently made the greater impact on Ken.

Not willing to give up quite as easily as his partner appeared to have done, Yohji reached out and clasped his hand around Aya's arm, giving it a firm squeeze as he stated confidently, "He *did* move, Aya, I'm sure of it. Ken's starting to rally and come out of this." As worried violet eyes gazed into confident jade ones he added, "I'll bet you he's awake and complaining that he's hungry before the day is out! You'll see, our Kenken's a fighter and he'll be up and around before you know it."

The nurse cleared her throat meaningfully and distracted the elder of the two long enough that he missed his lover's sad expression as the Weiss swordsman glanced where a large bulky bandage surrounded Ken's severely injured right leg. 

In the back of his mind, Aya wondered how long it really would be until the former athlete would be able to walk unaided and without a limp. His dark thoughts weren't helpful, though, as the same voice reminded him that there was the spinal injury to keep in mind as well as no guarantee of survival in the first place. Heaving a heavy sigh that seemed to echo from the bottom of the sea, he answered with only a nod as the nurse shooed them both out of the treatment room and indicated they needed to return to the waiting room since they'd over-stayed their time in the ICU.

Yohji's good mood was tempered by the realization that no matter how much hope they'd felt during the moment their wounded lover seemed to be responding to them, there was still a long road of recovery to face for Ken. A road that would invariably include detours and missed turns that he and the others would all have to be strong to face.

The two eldest members of Weiss made their way back to their friends, each lost in his own thoughts and an opportunity to close some of the emotional distance that was growing between them was unfortunately missed. 

If Abyssinian and Balinese had known what cruel twist fate held in store for someone close to them, they might have taken the opportunity to try to mend the rift that had developed between them. However, very few people are privileged with advance knowledge of such things and even when those rare gifted souls know, sometimes they can't do anything about it either and they are often as frustrated as everyone else.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] As I've done for all of the Tokyo General Hospital staff, I've named this new character after a member of the creative staff of the anime series. This time it's Art Director Waki Takeshi who is being honored even though this nurse may have little or nothing in common with her talented namesake.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 23 & 24 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to someone who works very hard to bring together quality fanfiction based on the bishounen of Weiss Kreuz as well as those of Gundam Wing, the talented and kind, Diana, archivist extrodinaire! 

{sends up a rocket filled with fireworks of delight in her honor}

This marvelous soul works diligently yet quietly via the stylish and understated "Scripta Manent: A Fanworks Archive" where she houses some of the finest pieces of fanfiction one could ever want to read for a variety of authors, all of whom she has hand-picked to insure your reading pleasure. You'll find some of the best known names there such as: Jade, Chalcedony Cross, Sailor Mac, Ray-chan, Miko no Da, myself, and others. And if you want variety, she offers plenty of that, too! From Jade's lemony romps to one of the finest fics with meteorological precipitation in the title, Mami-sama's heart-wrenching piece that is simply called "Rain", but which I file in my brain as something to re-read if I'm feeling too happy, something that hasn't happened in a *very* long time! 

I strongly urge you to go check out her wonderful site and wish to mention that the URL is located above in the indicia of each and every part of this angst epic that she has done a simply amazing job of HTMLing and uploading almost as fast as I can get it posted. By the way, if you want to see another émigré from the world of GW's take on the Weiss boys from a sexual perspective, scope out babaca's nifty pair of fics. 

Oh, speaking of G-Boys and their adventures, as mentioned above, Diana has those, too, and I urge you to take a moment to go and worship them, too. Plus, after enjoying images in your head from words, go and enjoy words in your head from images in the fanart gallery! There's some nifty images by Cj there and even though I have yet to make the acquaintance of this talented soul, the works speak for themselves, ne?

{throws a Pocky bouquet into cyberspace in honor of Diana and a hope that the readers of this fic will all go over and enjoy her site very soon, they'll be glad they did! then the hairy beast gets a tired smile on his face and mentions something happily domestic that is less angsty than things have been lately}

A special word of thanks to all those of you who sent words of encouragement for Lauren's speedy recovery! Apparently you have influence over not only my muses but the powers that bring healing to twelve year old's throats, since she felt well enough to go to school today. Granted, that meant she and I did homework together all evening *and* it meant I didn't have enough time to edit the next Part in time to post the way that I wanted to, but oh well. A great cliffhanger in the middle of a posting run is still a great cliffhanger, ne?

Well, that's it for tonight. A slightly shorter read than usual, but there's angst aplenty coming your way next and I hope you'll all plan to join me here at the Angst Theatre soon to find out what the heck the last line in Part 24 was all about! 

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is currently trying to find a way to get this fic wrapped up soon, he's got that Cowboy Bebop birthday fic to write for his kitten-koi soon, but will set this one aside to do it if necessary. *however* once he returns to CNR, it will most likely be finished quickly since right behind it is the all new "Scars": Book 3 of "Redirecting Destiny" which will contain the greatly anticipated lemon for the Weiss trio! it will be dark. it will be painful. it will live up to its title in ways that make me shudder. but it *will* be sexy as hell, you've got my word on it! {trembles with angst-addict delight as he recalls the outline for this that Erato and Melpomene delivered a couple of days ago} ah, angsty-lemon, what a yummy thing to look forward to, ne?)

Posted 07 February 2002, ~3:45am


	25. Hope and Happiness Precede Disaster

Title: Cold November Rain [part 25/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 0930-1110 hours ++

*****

When the elder pair of Weiss assassins walked into the intensive care unit's waiting room, Omi nervously looked up from the dice game he and his boyfriend were distracting themselves with and then smiled brightly as he asked, "Yohji-kun? Why the big smile? Has something good happened?"

Nagi was also looking at them, yet his eyes tracked to Aya's somber expression and he knew that things weren't really as good as Yohji was about to claim and immediately knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that much of the show of good cheer was for Omi's sake. He kept quiet, though, respecting the Weiss assassins' efforts on behalf of his beloved partner.

"Ah, Omiitchi, I have *excellent* news!" The tall blond man beamed brightly and spread his arms out in an encompassing motion that drew Manx's attention to him as well and he announced, "Kenken responded to us while we were with him. He squeezed Aya's hand and I'm sure this means he'll come out of it any time now!"

"That's wonderful!" The younger blond's expression was radiant and he leapt to his feet to rush to embrace the elder blond warmly, genki smile in full bloom as he turned to the violet-eyed man and asked excitedly, "Did he *really* know you were there, Aya-kun? I mean, if he *did* and he *does* wake up, won't that mean he's going to recover fully and faster than Dr. Egami said he would?"

Despite a raw sense of chill in his soul that made him wish to seek solitude rather than act in a fashion contrary to his true feelings, the swordsman forced himself to answer, "I think he knew we were there, Omi, but I have no idea if it means anything or not." He turned pained amethyst eyes on the jade-eyed man and added almost accusingly, "And I seriously doubt that even if he regains consciousness today that fact alone will change the prognosis the doctor gave us yesterday. You shouldn't make more of this than it is, Yohji."

Yohji unexpectedly released Omi from his arms and turned away, torn by a desire to disagree adamantly with his lover or to simply take Aya aside and tell him to have more faith, to be more trusting in a favorable outcome. In the end, his exhausted mind couldn't make a choice and he lapsed into an atypical silence, expression conflicted as he mentally removed himself from the situation for a few moments.

The scarlet-haired man was barely aware of the shift in the elder of his two lovers, his own thoughts dark and cloudy as he contemplated the effect it would have on all of them if in fact Ken didn't return to consciousness soon. There weren't any scenarios based on these thoughts that held much hope and he was caught in the maelstrom of them briefly.

Confusion-filled cerulean eyes moved from one teammate to the other a few times before Omi asked, "Well? Which is it? I should feel hopeful or I shouldn't?" Turning towards his boyfriend he reached out both physically and emotionally and asked, "Nagi-love? What do *you* think I should do?"

With a small sigh of frustration since he really had no idea which would be the right thing to do realistically speaking, the telekinetic chose blind faith for a change, took Omi's hand in his own, and suggested, "Why not go ahead and feel hopeful, Omi-koi? Weren't you the one who taught me to hope for the best when I was doing so poorly in Sociology at school? It helped then and it ought to help now, don't you think?" 

Reminded of the time when the midnight blue-eyed youth had become unbearably lost in a class whose subject matter Nagi had no intrinsic interest in and it had been up to Omi to help him succeed, the Weiss archer nodded. It had taken a combination of faith, luck, and an all-night IM study session to help the struggling student bring home the "B" grade that was the lowest mark Crawford would accept from him. [1] Without the constant urgings of one-word emails that read simply "Ganbatte!", Nagi might've given up entirely and that would've been a most unfortunate result. [2] As it was, however, he passed the final exam with flying colors and was able to put it behind him as a learning experience in more ways than one.

A slow smile returned to Omi's lips and he nodded firmly and said, "I almost forgot about that, Nagi. Yes, I think I *will* hope for the best and maybe Ken-kun will wake up when you and I go to see him, ne?"

Nagi blinked his eyes in surprise, that certainly wasn't what he had in mind, "hoping for the best" was one thing, expecting a miracle was quite another. Trying not to sound as confused by the blond's rapid shifts in attitude as he felt, the sable-haired boy offered encouragingly, "Ganbatte!"

Omi beamed once more, blissfully unaware of Nagi's hesitation and then tugged on their joined hands and asked, "Want to play Yahtzee now, love? There's nothing else for us to do until we get to see Ken-kun around 11 o'clock, so this might be a good time."

Shrugging since it seemed an obvious choice, Nagi agreed and the two of them retreated to a corner where there was a clear spot on the floor where they could sit together and get lost in a small flurry of score cards, pencils, and dice.

Neither Yohji nor Aya paid the teens much attention as they had already retreated into their own separate worlds and Manx watched the four assassins with a look of displeasure in her ocean-colored eyes. 

"Men can be so stupid at times," she sighed to herself and then left to begin putting in motion some plans of her own based on the recent nearly tragic events. If the people she was trying to help get through this crisis failed to see that they weren't handling things with clear heads, then she'd just have to take charge and do it for them. What woman wouldn't?

In the back of her mind, the Kritiker agent congratulated herself on having told Omi that he and Nagi could have the second visitation of the day, hoping that seeing his teammate would help settle the seventeen year old's fears for awhile and possibly get him to rest. It never occurred to her that perhaps the Schwarz psychic wasn't as ready to see the severely injured man as he himself thought, but there wasn't much to be done about it at that point anyway.

*****

Roughly two hours after her first trip to the waiting room, Takeshi returned to find an odd sight.

Sitting on the floor in a corner of the room, two teenage boys were smiling more than most intensive care unit visitors ever did and after the blond stared glumly at the dice in front of him and complained about not getting a Large Straight something miraculous happened. [3] 

As he turned his attention to the score sheet in his lap, one of the two dice that read "5" floated up from the carpeted floor, twisted itself in midair and then settled back down as the other boy pointed and answered, "But you did, koi. See? You got a '1' instead of a '6', doesn't that still count?"

"Really? I *did*? Neat!!" The blond's smile was bright and cheery as he moved to quickly erase the pencil mark that had put a score in the "Chance" line instead of the one for getting five numbers in order, never once questioning his sudden luck. Then he scooped up the dice, put them back in their holder and handed it to his partner, saying with a small smirk, "Oh, we need to add a new rule, though, Nagi-love. No use of paranormal powers to help me win, okay?"

The dark-haired boy tried to pout ever so briefly then laughed softly and nodded, "You caught me, koi. All right, no more cheating. But that has to include your own sleight-of-hand that you used earlier to get me that Full House score, too, okay?"

Cerulean eyes widened slightly and then the boy laughed and nodded, "You noticed that? Oh well, I guess we *both* have to agree not to cheat, at least not unless we're playing as a team against Aya-kun and Yohji-kun, right?" He offered an extended pinky in promise which was gladly accepted. [4] 

As the two boys shook on their agreement to attempt to beat the elder members of Weiss in a dice game, the aforementioned pair of assassins glided up noiselessly behind the nurse after sharing silence and cigarettes outside. Yohji asked the woman, "Is there news about Ken, Takeshi-san, or are you here to escort the next visitors to him?"

The nurse was so absorbed in the interaction on the floor, she hadn't heard the men arrive and she gave a soft cry of alarm and then pressed one hand to her racing heart and exclaimed, "Don't *do* that, Yohji-san! Please! You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry about that," the jade-eyed man chuckled softly, amused ever so briefly that he and his partner's intrinsic stealth skills occasionally expressed themselves at the most opportune of moments. After enjoying the way the woman glared angrily at him before she turned her eyes away in confusion to stare once more at the boys, he asked, "Is something wrong, nurse?"

Pointing at Nagi and Omi she asked in puzzlement, "Did they just do what I think they did?"

"What might that be?" Yohji asked teasingly and bent close to her before whispering conspiratorially, "Did you catch them kissing or something, Takeshi-san? I told them to behave themselves before I left, but you know how kids are."

The speed with which the blush bloomed on her cheeks was astounding and it had the desired effect in that she was distracted enough not to pursue the matter of having seen telekinesis at work and she finally asked in a flustered voice, "Who is coming to see Hidaka-san next? I thought that red haired woman would be next but she isn't here now."

"No, we're next." Omi said and scrambled to his feet before drawing Nagi up beside him and adding for the benefit of the pair who had just arrived, "Manx had to go to the office for a different laptop since the one she brought wasn't working right and said she'd be back soon."

"Okay," Yohji agreed with an easy smile and then asked more seriously, "Are you two ready to go see Ken?"

Nagi swallowed thickly and nodded his head, not willing to give voice to a sudden feeling of foreboding even as Omi smiled brightly and agreed too quickly, "Absolutely, Yohji-kun! I've been really looking forward to seeing him and I know Nagi is too, right, love?" He turned big hopeful eyes on his boyfriend who simply nodded again and reached out to hold his hand cautiously, unaware that Yohji's earlier teasing of the nurse would've eliminated any shock factor such an action might've had. 

Takeshi heaved a sigh, glad that her heart rate was down but the blush remained on her cheeks as she said, "Follow me, please." 

She led the pair to the intensive care unit, repeating the hospital's list of rules for Nagi's benefit. Opening the door to Ken's room, she mentioned something about having forgotten something one of the machines needed and she unwisely left them alone with the unconscious man.

Omi's eyes were riveted on his teammate's face, taking in the numerous small wounds inflicted on him the night before during what he knew was a rescue mission performed by Ken's two lovers, something that had undoubtedly saved the claw-wielding assassin's life. With a soft sigh, he smiled encouragingly at his boyfriend before turning to face his fallen friend and thereby missed the ash color replacing the normal alabaster of Nagi's face as the shock of the sight before him set in. 

Despite his prior experiences with both the death of his school friend who had been denied a kidney transplant and various incidents at Estet, the diminutive telekinetic hadn't spent much time around people as severely injured as Ken was now. The sight would be an unnerving one even if the older teen was a complete stranger. However, knowing him as well as Nagi did, the impact of seeing the many pieces of medical equipment, IVs, bandages, and more attached to the brunette was overwhelming and quite frightening.

Blissfully unaware of the trouble brewing behind him, Omi stepped over to the side of Ken's bed and offered as brightly as possible, "Hello, Ken-kun! I'm back again. Your color is better today and Aya-kun said you were holding his hand earlier, does this mean you're waking up? I hope so, and Nagi does, too, right, Nagi-love?" 

The Weiss archer turned to smile at the telekinetic who only blinked in confusion for a moment then agreed automatically, "Absolutely, Omi-koi." 

Nagi swallowed convulsively and tried not to think about how terrified he felt by the unbelievable number of tubes and wires that wove over and under the light sheet that was tented up by the large cast on Ken's left arm. Midnight blue eyes tried to find something else to look at and found themselves snared on the hideous sight of a pair of chest tubes that extended up from beneath the sheet carrying away the liquid that was trying to gather in the injured man's lungs and chest cavity. [5] His eyes followed the flow of unpleasant looking, blood tainted fluid as it was swept away into a noisy suction device on the floor which was surrounded by wires and monitor plugs. 

Fighting a feeling of light-headedness and nausea, the telekinetic added in a slightly weak voice, "I hope you feel better really soon, Ken-kun. We're all worried about you."

A tiny frown marred Omi's face as he asked, "Nagi? Are you okay, love?"

"I'm fine," Nagi replied automatically and desperately hoped he wasn't about to pass out as he added, "Why don't you talk to Ken-kun for us both, koi? I just don't know what to say."

Omi didn't look like he believed him entirely, yet didn't want to lose his chance to "visit" with his unconscious teammate and agreed, "All right." He gave his companion another wary glance and then turned his full attention to the man in the bed, talking about how much he wanted Ken to awaken and losing himself in the hope of thinking the chocolate-eyed man might do so soon.

When he ran out of encouraging words, the youngest member of Weiss started talking about Nagi's presence again, explaining about how he'd found him on the bridge the day before and how brave and daring he thought the telekinetic had been saving him the way he had. Without thinking about it, he reached out to brush a long blond hair he assumed Yohji had inadvertently left behind from Ken's sheets and accidentally pushed the cloth back, exposing where the chest tubes entered the injured man's body. 

The horrifying rows of metal staples that were now holding Ken's chest together as well as the ghastly punctures the tubing ran through were nothing new to Omi and he continued to chatter away as he did a quick check of some of the other damage as well. Experienced cerulean eyes were satisfied that the numerous incisions required for the extensive renal and spinal work weren't as bad as they could've been. 

By this point, most of Omi's words were for Nagi's ears as well as a way to communicate their presence to the silent teen he was examining, but when he glanced at his boyfriend to see if he was enjoying the praise, he was startled enough that he shouted, "*Nagi*?! What's wrong?!" 

The Schwarz psychic's face had a chalky appearance, the skin was white and had a dull, matte look which left his deep blue eyes looking disproportionately huge as he stared in terror at the sight of Ken's surgery-ravaged body. Trying to pull himself together before the darkness he felt reaching for him could claim him, Nagi turned towards Omi, lifted one hand in appeal, then toppled backwards and crashed to the floor, taking the suction device with him and becoming hopelessly entangled in tubing and wires. 

The sable-haired youth simply lay on the floor, motionless and unaware. Omi felt his heart lurch as he realized Nagi's body position eerily echoed Ken's from the morning before. A flood of blood-soaked memories rushed to the forefront of his mind and overlapped the images of the two, causing him to imagine his boyfriend's own body riddled with bullets and paralyzing him in spite of the emergency that confronted him.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Gomenasai, but I have no clue how grades are assigned in Japanese schools, so I've used American standards here. For those more familiar with a 4.0 scale instead of a letter grade system, a "B" is a 3.0 and I frankly see Crawford as being only *barely* tolerant of any grade that low in the first place.

[2] The encouraging and occasionally congratulatory cheer "Ganbatte!" is one of Japanese's wonderful perfect summations of many things. It can mean everything from "Hang in there!" to "Keep going!" to "All the best!" to "This is great, do more!" as it is used in notes to the Llama by several culturally clever folks. As to the meaning Omi was using, it was some of all of the above and probably included an implied encouraging hug at the same time if I know the genki assassin as well as I claim to.

[3] In answer to a question from a reader who had never heard of it, Yahtzee is a Milton Bradley game which uses five dice which are thrown a certain number of times to get various combinations. A Large Straight is a sequence of five in a row such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Mentioned later is a Full House which is three of a kind and two of another. The actual "Yahtzee" itself is five of a kind and is often the hardest to get.

[4] Such an adorable tradition! Even here in the US it's not uncommon to see these "pinky promises" among girls, but when I saw two boys exchanging one in CLAMP's delightfully bishounen-packed manga series "X," I realized it wasn't too hard to imagine Omi doing it and who better to share one with than Nagi?

[5] I wish the medical equipment and surgical wound descriptions offered here were more figments of my imagination, but they aren't. They are based on my experiences with my mother's open heart surgery several years ago when my father chose me as the sole offspring to be notified of the traumatic event and was expected to be there and be strong for him. Suffice it to say, what follows is a modification of my own experiences fed through Nagi's eyes and while my final reaction to it didn't include the same dramatics as Nagi's, my own left me badly shaken. The moral of the story is that if you're in an ICU or a CCU and someone decides to check the incisions and you're not sure you can handle it, look away. There's no shame in admitting certain horrors should never be associated with someone you love.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 25 & 26 will be posted together. 


	26. Aftermath of Tragic Mistakes

Title: Cold November Rain [part 26/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 1110-1155 hours ++

*****

"NAGI!!!" Omi screamed when he shook the gory image that had combined Ken's bullet ravaged flesh with Nagi's too-slender body within his mind and reminded the inattentive nurse that she should have been in the room with the pair of teenagers all along. 

Abandoning Ken entirely, he dropped to his knees beside the inert form of his beloved and tried to disentangle him from the tubing, wires, and bulky device that had luckily continued to function, burbling and making sickening sucking noises as it pulled more dark fluid into itself. Unable to free Nagi easily and fearing he might injure Ken if he kept trying to handle it himself, Omi shouted at the top of his lungs, "HELP!!! Somebody, *help* me!!" 

The nurse came dashing into the room, an expression of horrified regret for her mistake on her face and she commanded, "Stop trying to pull on that! You'll hurt the patient!" 

"Then *you* do it!" Omi insisted, distraught and feeling worse than helpless.

"I will, I will, just calm down and give me a chance, okay?" Takeshi assured and then reached to activate a button beside the door which would bring the doctor-on-call for the intensive care unit to their side within moments. Looking at Omi even as she carefully checked Nagi's pulse, she asked, "What happened to him?"

"I don't know," Omi answered in agony, then added, "I think he passed out."

The nurse frowned, the boy's heart rate seemed too fast and the rhythm seemed ever so slightly off, two fine distinctions Schuldich wasn't sufficiently trained to have detected. This was something that could have disastrous consequences in the future since the German telepath was always the one to check on Nagi after he passed out from overuse of his powers. 

Failing to make a mental note to mention her observations to someone about them later, Takeshi asked, "Does he do that often?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe?" The blond youth's voice was filled with pain and confusion as he desperately wished for Yohji or Aya to miraculously appear at the door and give him the help he needed to deal with the situation that had spiraled out of control so suddenly. 

The person who did arrive, however, was not anyone either Omi or the negligent nurse expected.

"What's going on in here?" Dr. Egami demanded as he stepped towards the trio on the floor. The emergency room's surgeon-on-call was wearing spotless scrubs since there hadn't been any need for his services so far that day, thankfully. He had only come to the intensive care unit to check on his patient from the day before, yet his timing couldn't have been better and Omi was understandably relieved to see him.

"Doctor! Help us, please!" Pleading cerulean eyes gazed up at the man and he added by way of explanation, "I think Nagi just passed out, but he's all tangled up in this tubing and wires and everything!" 

"All right, son, I'll take care of it," the physician reassured and the distraught teenager felt greatly relieved as the doctor-on-call arrived as well, bringing the number of people available to deal with the emergency to an acceptable one.

As they struggled to unravel the multitude of tubes and wires from the unconscious teen, no one noticed the soft sound of fabric moving beneath a weakly grasping hand on the bed in the room as Ken rose to consciousness briefly in response to his teammate's screams. But the moment was so brief and the sound so quiet that it went unnoticed and the injured man sank back into the darkness before he even registered the event fully himself.

Within moments, Nagi's inert form was freed of its entanglements and was placed on a gurney so that he could be transferred either to the emergency room or a regular patient's suite for monitoring and possible treatment. Of course no one present had any idea that the moment the telekinetic had been placed onto the rolling bed had been foreseen by the Schwarz precog, and if Crawford had known, he might have been tempted to violate the warning dream himself to attempt to aid his youngest teammate. As it was, however, neither side knew to alert the other and the situation would have to simply play itself out as it was destined to be.

Ken had received a quick exam by Egami who proclaimed him unharmed by the incident to everyone's relief. Omi was shakily standing beside his lover's body, holding Nagi's hand in his own and feeling dreadfully guilty for everything.

A pair of orderlies arrived and pushed the gurney out of the intensive care unit and into the hallway pending a decision as to where to take the unconscious teen. It was there that Omi was reunited with Aya and Yohji since they had decided to find out why their friends had been gone twice as long as expected. 

The younger blond whimpered miserably but didn't allow himself to cry as the elder one comforted him and kept a watchful eye on Egami who was giving Takeshi a proper dressing down for the disaster her negligence had caused. Yohji felt horrified that his young friend was suffering yet again, but he didn't have any idea how to help other than to rub Omi's back and tell him it would be okay, so that was what he did even though he felt it wasn't enough.

The scarlet-haired assassin, however, only had eyes for the ashen-faced youth on the gurney. 

Aya wondered why seeing Nagi laying there helpless and vulnerable made him feel almost as angry as he would've been if it had been Omi instead. Unable to find an answer, he turned away and swallowed a desire to wreck vengeance of his own on the incompetent nurse in favor of doing what he could to improve the situation as it was. He found no new solutions, though, and in the end, the swordsman merely moved to place a hand on the distraught teen's shoulder in silent reassurance.

Omi didn't really notice either of the men's attempts to help him, though, and he just repeated his mantra of guilt from the previous day as he sank into a pool of grief and remorse, "My fault, it's all my fault."

"Take it easy, Omiitchi," Yohji quietly soothed, totally unaware of the details or the fact that for once the cerulean-eyed boy was basically right. "We'll get this figured out, just calm down."

Shaking his head and biting at his lips to try to keep from crying and failing as a hot salty drop slid down his cheek, the younger blond finally threw both arms around Yohji's waist and leaned against him heavily, repeating, "This is all my fault!"

"No, it's not, son," a warm and apologetic voice interjected as Egami walked up to join the Weiss members beside the gurney. He had a better idea of what had occurred after speaking with Takeshi and even though he knew only her side of the story it was enough for him to be able to grant a certain amount of comfort. After Omi turned sorrowful eyes towards him, he said, "I'm afraid that this is primarily the nurse on duty's fault. She failed to follow standard procedures by allowing the two of you to visit the patient unattended and she's been suspended from duty as a result of it."

The scarlet-haired man growled softly in the back of his throat yet didn't speak. In Aya's opinion, the woman had gotten off far too easily. Her negligence had placed two people that he cared about at risk and that meant Takeshi now faced Abyssinian's righteous anger if there were further complications for either Nagi or Ken because of her errors.

Yohji, however, wasn't nearly as composed as the younger of his two lovers. "What the hell is wrong with this place, Egami?!" He snarled, fury in his words that he didn't have any hesitation to express. "Last night, one of your nurses let Ken practically suffocate and now, not even twelve hours later another one leaves a couple of kids alone in an ICU? Shit, I'm no doctor, but even *I* know that's not the way things are supposed to be done!"

Omi released his hold on his eldest teammate and moved to wrap both arms around himself as if he was cold and he just shook his head as the tears continued to cascade down his face as he insisted, "But, Yohji-kun, this really *is* my fault!" He glanced mournfully at the surgeon and explained, "Doctor, I was checking Ken-kun's wounds and wasn't paying enough attention to Nagi before all of this happened. He had seemed a little upset or something and I should've been more aware of that. This is my fault, all my fault."

Egami frowned and asked, "What do you mean you were 'checking his wounds'? Do you have some kind of specialized training that you would be doing something like that?" The physician was well aware of the fact that the deceptively youthful-looking individual that he was addressing was actually a Kritiker operative and he had a healthy respect for those who served the secretive organization. Age and appearance often concealed unknown capabilities in the elite group and he assumed that may have actually been part of the problem.

With a heavy sigh, the seventeen year old answered, "Yes, unfortunately." Omi's tears seemed to lighten up a little as he explained, "I've been through advanced first aid training so that I can help if my teammates are injured. Because of that, I've seen more than my share of injuries like these in the past and I wanted to see how the sutures looked."

"Ah, I see," the man nodded and asked, "So, you're roughly an EMT then?" [1] 

Omi glanced away, unhappy as he admitted, "Not quite, I'm more specialized than that. More along the lines of a combat medic, just not a very good one, apparently or Nagi wouldn't be laying there out cold."

"I don't think your training had anything to do with his being unconscious right now, son," Egami insisted. Then he looked to both Aya and Yohji before he glanced at Nagi, noted the boy's continued lack of healthy skin color and added, "I'd like to run some blood tests on your friend. Make sure there isn't anything going on here beyond a simple fainting spell."

"No," Aya suddenly insisted flatly when he realized this suggestion was upsetting the youngest member of his team, the situation had become mission-like yet again and as field-leader, Abyssinian took charge. "Give him a chance to recover first. He's a fairly private person and he may prefer not to have you do anything to him. I won't have anyone violating that unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

At first uncertain if he was pleased with his lover's decision or not, Yohji glanced at the unconscious youth and agreed, "Definitely. But let's get Nagi the hell out of this hallway and somewhere he and Omi both can have some peace, all right? Or is that too much to ask around here?" His anger with the hospital staff hadn't been resolved yet, but the wire-wielding assassin was trying to see to the best interests of his friends before dealing with that issue.

With a nod and an another apologetic shake of his head, Egami answered, "Certainly. Let me see if there's an empty room on this floor so you can be near him as well as Hidaka-san. There's really no need to put him in the ER if his vital signs are stable and we are simply waiting for him to regain consciousness."

"Fine, whatever, just get it done," the lanky blond growled before the doctor merely nodded acknowledgement of the command and then left them hoping to make the arrangements quickly. Yohji then reached out to draw Omi's attention back to himself, saying, "Omiitchi? Are you going to be okay, bishounen?"

The cerulean-eyed boy shook his head in sorrowful negation and unwound his arms so he could reach up and swipe away the tears that were slowly drying on his face, wiping at his wet cheeks with angry helplessness. "No, nothing's 'okay' any more, Yohji-kun! Ken-kun could've been hurt badly all over again because I wasn't paying attention and Nagi's unconscious and it's all my fault! I," his voice failed him and he choked as he exclaimed, "I just can't handle this!" 

Jade eyes were filled with compassion as Yohji tried once more to soothe the boy by saying again, "I understand, Omiitchi, but you're got to calm down. Getting all worked up over this isn't going to help Nagi or Ken. Please?"

Stuttering slightly as he admitted his weakness, Omi turned huge pain-filled eyes towards his friends and he asked miserably, "Why is everything so messed up? Why can't we just have something go right for a change? Nagi seemed so happy this morning and *now* look at him! It's awful!" 

"I know it seems bad, Omi," Aya interjected, the chill tones of Abyssinian temporarily lost from his voice and replaced with a mixture of warmth for his unhappy young friend and concern for the sable-haired boy who brought out feelings within him he didn't understand. When the distraught youth turned towards him he reassured, "But we've all been through a lot in the last two days. Until Nagi comes out of it, you won't really know *what* happened in there, so you've got to stop blaming yourself for this. Ken wasn't hurt and Nagi may just be overtired the way we *all* are right now. Yohji's right, you need to calm down." 

In the back of his mind, Aya considered suggesting a mild sedative or something for the teen. Omi was clearly losing control of his emotions and the scarlet-haired man was afraid he might decide to simply flee again and with Nagi unconscious there wasn't anyone to go after him this time.

To their surprise, though, Aya's words of encouragement had the desired effect and the miserable teen nodded and then turned to face the silent form of his boyfriend. Omi reached out to gather one thin, limp hand into his own as he said in a small voice, "You're right, Aya-kun. I'll try harder not to get so upset, but this is all so hard to deal with."

"It is for all of us," Aya agreed then lapsed back into his customary quiet as a nurse and an orderly approached them to transport Nagi to a room several doors down from the intensive care unit's waiting room.

"Please come with me," the petite nurse requested, gesturing with one hand even as the orderly released the brakes on the rolling bed and started to push it down the hallway carefully, not asking Omi to release the hand he was holding as they walked together. 

Yohji shook his head sadly and felt a craving for a cigarette hit which he ignored preferring to see to it that the younger assassins were taken care of properly and not willing to trust the hospital staff to do it. Head down and seemingly lost in thought, the former detective trailed along behind the squeaking gurney as it moved past the familiar door to the smoking porch and he sighed and felt exhaustion tugging at him. 

As he walked slowly behind the odd processional, Aya wondered why Omi had chosen that moment to listen to his advice. Despite being relieved that he had indeed taken his words to heart, the swordsman felt there had to be something more than a few words from himself that had caused the sudden shift and if he could determine what that had been it might help in the future. The youngest member of Weiss was a passionate soul and his strong emotional reactions were understandable but they were potentially damaging if he couldn't control them as he obviously hadn't been able to earlier. 

Not finding any answers as the gurney was placed next to one of a pair of unoccupied beds in a room identified with a placard beside the door labeled "121", the violet-eyed man refocused on the scene around him. The nurse and orderly were arranging themselves to move the unconscious youth into the bed by simply lifting the corners of the sheet Nagi was laying on and carrying him over to it. 

Snorting angrily at the clinical impersonality of the process despite it being a perfectly acceptable approach technically speaking, Aya growled softly, "Let me do that."

The other two Weiss members present glanced at him in surprise and Yohji almost smiled despite his lingering dark thoughts as the elder of his two lovers repeated his actions from the previous night. 

Aya slipped strong arms beneath the fragile-looking fifteen year old and easily swept Nagi up, cradling him warmly to himself for the moment it took to get the gurney out of the way and then settling him onto the bed gently. As he stepped away, the nurse busied herself drawing a warm blanket up over the motionless youth, tucking it in warmly and double checking the emergency assistance call-button that lay upon the pillow.

After casting an annoyed glance at the woman to tell her to hurry up, the twenty year old felt Omi's cautious touch at his arm and looked down into grateful, red-rimmed blue eyes. With a small smile for the boy, he patted the hand where it lay, then moved to draw a chair over to the bed and he inclined his head to indicate it was for him.

Omi sank into the chair gratefully, and after the two uniformed hospital workers had left, he sighed deeply and let his head fall into his hands, simply resting for a moment before asking, "What do we do now?"

Yawning slightly and feeling embarrassed about it despite being beyond exhausted after going without sleep for over 48 hours, Yohji answered, "We wait." He stretched and added with a sigh, "I think we need to let Manx know what's going on. She's going to be pissed when she finds out there's been another fuck-up."

"That's true," Omi nodded and moved the chair so he could go back to holding Nagi's hand, feeling more calm as long as he could maintain physical contact with his boyfriend even as he asked, "But what about you, Yohji-kun? You and Aya-kun both look so very tired."

"We'll be fine, Omiitchi, don't worry about us," the jade-eyed man responded tiredly then yawned again and shook his head, "I just need some coffee or something. I think I'll go get some and I'll call Manx while I'm at it." 

"All right," the youngest member of Weiss agreed easily as Yohji turned and walked out of the room with Aya following him only a few steps behind. Omi then turned his attention back to his insensate lover and sighed softly, "Oh, Nagi-love, please be okay." He sighed and continued to hold his beloved's chilled and limp hand warmly in his own and silently hoped the other boy would awaken quickly.

After they had walked a few doors away from the room where they had left the two teenagers, Aya reached out and clasped one hand over Yohji's arm and stopped him so they could plan a new strategy for the changed situation. Simply patiently sitting in the waiting room to be called to visit their fallen lover was no longer an option either man was willing to consider since the staff had proven they couldn't be trusted to keep him safe.

"I'm going back to the ICU," the violet-eyed man stated quietly, voice mission-cool once more. "I don't trust them to protect Ken and I won't risk any further complications due to their stupidity."

Jade eyes narrowed angrily as Yohji nodded his agreement, "Sounds like a good idea to me, Abyssinian. Those assholes are lucky Omi needed us when he did a bit ago. It could've gotten messy otherwise." He didn't need to specify the type of violence that might have erupted earlier, they both knew it wouldn't have been anything as terrible as what had occurred the previous day, but it still would've caused trouble for all involved.

The Weiss swordsman nodded and snorted angrily, "My thoughts as well, Balinese. Can you stand guard over Bombay and Nagi while I take watch over Siberian?"

Yohji nodded in return, "Absolutely. I'll contact Manx and then get back to them in a few minutes." 

"Roger that," the Weiss swordsman acknowledged his agreement to the current plan of action and they separated intending to protect their teammates and friend as fully as possible despite their dangerous and mind-numbing exhaustion. 

Neither man would have had the energy to continue with his reckless disregard for his own health if there wasn't quite so much riding on their shoulders. However, as long as Ken and Nagi were unconscious and Omi was lost in an emotional haze, Aya and Yohji would remain on alert, protecting the three younger assassins to the best of their abilities. Luckily for them, though, someone was already on their way to radically change the situation for the better, bringing much needed support they hadn't even thought to ask for.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] "EMT" is the abbreviation for Emergency Medical Technician, a.k.a. "Paramedic" in some areas, and I've met several volunteer fire-and-rescue workers younger than seventeen who held the title so this isn't as improbable as it may seem at first glance.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 25 & 26 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to a whole bunch of incredible people who deserve more praise than some of you can imagine, my faithful reviewers at fanfiction.net! 

{blows the Horn of Friendship and then bows deeply to those who R&R at ff.net with delightful frequency}

Just so everyone can discover for themselves how fabulous these people are, I ran the URL for there not too long ago for my MLs and I won't take your time to repeat myself with that since it's easy to get to. However, as of this evening, there's *150* pieces of shiny, wonderful, delightful, inspirational commentary there that provide me with an almost limitless amount of energy to keep going against all odds to finish this Angst Epic! 

{does the Official Llama Happy Dance of Joy in Honor of Fanfiction.net Friends}

If you wondered what kept me going as the migraine played holy hell with my soul OR while I worried over my sick chibi OR any other time this story hit a block, just go look. All you have to do is see some of the great things people have said to see that this is every writer's dream, to have readers who are just as passionate about his work as he himself is! There've been discussions about who will live and who will die, the best ways to cope with the pain of cliffhangers and oodles more of truly good stuff! 

So, thank you *all* for the messages! I promise that each and every one of them has been read carefully, and then either: smiled at, giggled over, laughed along with, cried over, or some other emotional response I can't think of right now. These kind words are life's blood for me and ambrosia for my muses and I thank you all!

If I could ask my friends there for a favor it would be a simple one and it's being mentioned only because I adore them and might want to send a note to someone who didn't have a chance to sign in before commenting. If you do wish to leave me a message without a link back to your author's page where I can get your address, could you add it for me? I'd be crazy to think I could start answering these things one by one, but there's been a couple times I just wanted to reach through the internet and hug someone who left me a note there but without an address I didn't get to. So, please, never hesitate to leave me a note in whatever fashion appeals to you, use plenty of kind words since they make my muses work *extra* hard, and let me know how to reach you, okay? You're too important to me *not* want to know how to say "thanks", ne?

{bows deeply once again, these people deserve nothing but adoration but then realizes there's something important to mention and switches gears *after* storing the Horn of Friendship properly, of course!}

Just so it doesn't catch anyone by surprise, allow me to mention that "Cold November Rain" will officially go on hiatus after tomorrow night's posting run. 

{ducks down to hide behind a steel-reinforced wall since there're a few rabid fans that aren't going to like hearing this, but such is life and a promise is a promise!}

As has been mentioned several times in my end notes during recent posting runs, my darling Ryoko, aka my kitten, my koi, my friend, etc. has a birthday coming up on Monday. The delightful lady was given her choice of stories for her natal celebration and she chose something for her new Cowboy Bebop yaoi shrine along the lines of fairly light and happy lemon for Gren and Vicious. Hence, after the Angst-Muse-from-Hell and I knock out the rest of Part 27 and all of Part 28, then edit both up for tomorrow, Melpomene will be taking a break and Erato will be in charge for a few days. With a modicum of luck, I'll be able to create a deliciously naughty piece for Ryoko to enjoy and then it'll be back to work on this Angst Epic again. I think I'd like to try to get as much of it done in rough draft form before beginning the posting runs again, though, so it might be as long as a week before there's more. 

{ducks back down then peeks out with an olive branch in his hands}

Oops! Did I forget to mention that I'll also be working with *both* of my main muses on "Scars" while I'm doing that as well as outlining Book 4 which is untitled and will be either the "Schwarz Finds Out" story OR the "Yohji Quits Smoking" one? I think I'd like to save the (Brad x Schu) lemon as a tasty refresher course in Book 5. If I do, it means that "Redirecting Destiny" will have: Angst in "Cold November Rain"; Lemon in "Romantic Resolutions"; Angsty-Lemon in "Scars"; Angst in Book 4; then Sweeter-yet-slightly-angsty Lemon in Book 5; and then go ahead and let the three assassin teams go at each other in a Grand Melee in Book 6! I'd probably plan on slipping the non-chosen option for Book 4 into one of the others, but all of this is just llama-talk at too early in the morning, you know? Just some ideas you, the readers can think over and let me know what you'd like my muses to focus on next, all right?

{yawns sleepily and goes ahead and winds this one down}

All right, time for some sleep after putting this up at fanfiction.net. I'll be back soon with a really surprising performance for you next time! After all, I gave you a cliffhanger tonight, yes, but instead of fear it ought to have inspired a bit of hope and I want to deliver *that* before the story goes on hold for a bit!

Ciao!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who thinks Melpomene *really* needs a break after she delivered yet another idea for this continuity that made even *him* shudder tonight! damn, the things that evil goddess wants to have as hidden backstory for Yohji's time with Calico in Sapporo are far more cruel than what had been in mind originally but at least she's already providing a nice set-up for the little orange-haired bastard to get sliced to ribbons by Aya, ne? hmm, wonder why Kenken's not been included in that foreshadowed vengeance? {evil laugh as he vanishes into the pre-dawn hours})

Posted 08 February 2002, ~4:00am.


	27. The Proverbial Cavalry Arrives

Title: Cold November Rain [part 27/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 1155-1245 hours ++

*****

While Aya returned to the intensive care unit and informed the staff there in no uncertain terms that he intended to stay where he could guard Ken whether they liked it or not, Yohji was feeling frustrated yet again.

With an annoyed snarl, he slammed the receiver of a pay phone down and complained bitterly to himself, "Of all the fucking times for Manx to be on the damned phone!" 

Yohji shook his head angrily and stalked away, intending to give himself a short break en route back to Omi and Nagi to smoke a much needed cigarette and to drink the coffee he'd mentioned earlier. Despite his anger and frustration, the lanky blond knew he wouldn't be able to give the miserable teen the support he needed if he was strung out with exhaustion and nicotine cravings clouding his mind.

Soon, coffee cup in one hand and his second cigarette in less than three minutes in the other, the wire-wielding assassin finally began to feel human again, his thoughts calming and his mood reflective despite the overwhelming fatigue he was experiencing.

An image came to mind of Ken's tanned hand wrapped around Aya's pale one and tired jade eyes smiled slightly. 

If there had been no good news at all that day, Yohji might not have found the strength to take one last long pull on the cigarette in his mouth before pulling the butt from his lips and flicking it away before stepping back inside the hospital. The smoking porch near the intensive care unit wasn't pleasant with the ongoing drizzle of chill rain splashing over it and he was glad to leave it. He didn't feel any particular desire to stay there alone even if he didn't feel he was needed back in the room where he assumed Omi was still holding Nagi's hand and worrying himself sick with guilt and misery. 

Walking down the hallway with far less energy than he normally would have had, Yohji approached the room he'd left behind roughly fifteen minutes previously. Through sheer force of will, his thoughts remained focused on the new hope he had felt when he'd believed his younger lover had responded to his older one. He intended to rejoin Omi with as much positive emotion as he could gather and therefore kept any contemplation of the current problems with Aya from his mind.

After stepping through the door of Room 121 planning to greet his youngest teammate with the confident expression he'd painted on simply for effect, Yohji came to a complete halt and the false display was replaced by an honest, gentle smile. Before him was a scene of such heart-wrenching tenderness, the elder blond almost felt as if he was intruding and ought to leave but he didn't, choosing instead to merely remain where he was and absorb some of the mood of the moment, gaining unexpected strength from it. 

The youngest member of Weiss was still sitting in the chair that Aya had moved for him, but he had leaned over to pillow his head on folded arms laid close to Nagi's unconscious form probably for only a brief rest. The exhaustion from the emotional ordeal Omi had suffered had apparently caused him to fall into a light slumber. His expression was peaceful, previously sorrowful cerulean eyes closed beneath a gentle sweep of blond bangs even as soft, rhythmic puffs of air moved in and out of his slightly parted lips.

Even as Yohji watched with silent relief that the tortured youth had escaped his unhappiness even if only briefly, the other teen's breathing deepened as well as Nagi transitioned from unconsciousness to actual sleep, too. Then something that struck the former detective as almost miraculous occurred. 

Without ever awakening, the diminutive telekinetic moved on the bed much like a flower turns towards sunshine and curled towards the boy he loved, their deep emotional bond somehow alerting him to Omi's presence. Both youths continued to sleep without being aware they were being observed, yet Yohji felt deeply grateful that he had been there to witness the change, his earlier hope being renewed and strengthened by their unwitting interaction.

Shaking himself from his reverie, the taller blond moved to carefully lift the shorter one from the chair and deposited him into Nagi's bed and into the waiting curve of the other teen's body. Gladness touched his heart once more as the pair automatically adjusted to one another's presence, arms encircling warmly before they became fairly still once more.

Shaking his head in delighted wonder, Yohji stepped away from the young couple and respectfully took up a position in a second chair near the deliberately empty bed across the room which it hadn't even occurred to him to place his teammate into in the first place. He had no intention of failing to guard the two slumbering boys and he began to perform a series of complex math equations in his head to insure he'd stay awake himself. 

After a few minutes, though, he felt sleep reaching towards him and he rose from the chair and moved to where he stood leaning against a wall exhaustedly. His energy reserves had been seriously depleted yet much like his violet-eyed lover was doing at the exact same time, he continued to protect those he cared about simply by keeping watch. 

*****

As the eldest members of Weiss remained vigilant through sheer force of will alone, the proverbial cavalry was arriving.

Shaking her umbrella free of the cold drizzle that clung to it after walking in from the hospital parking lot, Manx turned to the four people with her and asked, "Do you have any other questions before you see my team, Norwegian?" [1] 

The doctor, a fairly pudgy, middle-aged man with a warm smile and gentle features shook his head, "No, no, my dear, I believe you've done more than enough to let us know what we are facing here." 

He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and chuckled softly as one of the young women beside him asked curiously, "Are these really the agents that killed all those awful people yesterday? I transcribed the police chief's report for Persia about that, they sound scary!"

Manx shook her head and reprimanded, "Don't talk like that, Sokoke! They did what was necessary and I expect you to treat my men with respect and not question them, understand?"

The honey-blond secretary looked chagrinned and nodded quickly, "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, Manx, it won't happen again."

The pretty bluish-black-haired woman beside Sokoke placed a warm hand on her sleeve and reassured her, "Relax, honey, you've got it easy. You're only here to deal with Balinese and I can tell you *that* man is far from 'scary' as long as you aren't caught flirting with Siberian!"

"Javanese!" Manx burst out and almost laughed at her old friend who winked at her despite the warning she, too, received. "Now *that* is hardly the level of professionalism I was counting on from you, nurse! But you're right, as long as you don't overstep your bounds, I'd say all of them are fairly easy to get along with."

The handsome black man who walked slightly behind the group remarked with a knowing smile, "Perhaps not Abyssinian, Manx. As I recall, he gave me quite a bit of trouble the last time I needed to suture a knife wound for him." The nurse shrugged as he added, "All he cared about was what it had done to his trench coat since, as he put it at the time, it wouldn't 'heal' on its own."

The redhead nodded and answered, "True, Korat, but I think that was more his way of trying not to worry about what Norwegian was going through at the time with Bombay." She glanced at the doctor and saw him frowning slightly, trying to remember the incident in question so she added helpfully, "As I recall, Bombay had been exposed to some poisonous gas fumes and no one was sure how best to handle detoxifying his system."

"Ah, right!" The portly physician nodded with sudden recollection, then clucked his tongue quietly before remarking, "That boy got off lucky that day, you know. If his teammates hadn't gotten him to me when they did, we would've lost him for certain."

"But you didn't lose any of them then and you won't lose any of them now," Manx stated flatly, seeing the signs directing them towards their destination which indicated they had almost arrived. In a serious tone that told her Kritiker coworkers that the time for gentle teasing and attempts to mentally prepare for what they all expected to be a fairly challenging assignment was over, she added, "Now, were there any last minute questions about our additional party? I know you were debriefed about him and are expected to treat him with the same respect you show to Weiss, but I realize that being asked to work with a member of Schwarz may seem strange."

The quartet looked at one another and there were various expressions from barely hidden dislike on the secretary's face all the way across the gamut to open curiosity on the face of the physician. 

Norwegian remarked, "As you said, my dear, we were all debriefed on the situation fully this morning after you requested our help. If Bombay's relationship with this 'Prodigy' has been sanctioned by Persia, we are duty-bound to treat him properly. For myself, however, I rather look forward to meeting the boy. Considering the use of operatives with paranormal powers is an area Kritiker ought to be looking towards for the future."

Manx nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face before she responded, "That's a good attitude, doctor, but I'm not sure how much attention Nagi will actually need from you right at the moment. Oh, that reminds me, call him by name and not Schwarz code-name, please. He's here as Bombay's friend, not as an enemy of Kritiker." 

"Not a problem, Manx," Javanese spoke up and added reassuringly, "Remember that you asked for us for a reason. I can't speak for Sokoke, of course, but Norwegian, Korat, and I have dealt with Weiss almost since the day they were activated. If Omi's found someone he cares deeply for, you can bet we'll take good care of him." She looked around at the empty waiting room they had just stepped into and asked, "But how are we supposed to do them any good at all if they aren't here?"

The honey-blond woman wanted to comment that she planned to be as helpful as possible, too, just to make sure Manx knew, but the fact that the four young men they were there to see were absent distracted her enough that she asked, "Could they have gone to get lunch?"

"Not likely," the redhead frowned and glanced at the forgotten Yahtzee game which sat ignored on the floor where Omi and Nagi had left it earlier, and she added darkly, "Something's wrong."

The tone in Manx's voice eradicated what little good cheer was still circulating amongst the group and Norwegian took control. A surprising air of command emanated from the usually easygoing man as he ordered, "Javanese, check with the nurses' desk we passed on the last hallway." 

The woman nodded curtly, double-checked her pocket for the cell phone each had been issued before being brought there by Manx then left without further discussion. 

The physician then turned to the ebony-skinned man and said, "Korat, I want you to ask the ICU staff about Abyssinian's team. If Siberian is there it's highly doubtful that Weiss would've gone far without alerting them."

"Yes, sir," turning quickly, the slender nurse left focused on finding the missing assassins.

With a small degree of his earlier warmth, Norwegian addressed the young secretary, "Sokoke? I want you to go ahead and check the cafeteria, your question earlier certainly wasn't without merit. Do you feel confident you'll recognize the team members if you encounter them?"

The honey-blond head nodded firmly, pleased that she hadn't made the kindly doctor angry with her inexperience, "I'm sure I can, sir. I'll get right on it!" She left quickly, her skirt swirling around her as she rushed off in search of people she had never met yet feared as well as respected.

Manx had watched the physician dispersing his forces and then asked, "And me, doctor? What can *I* do to help?"

The man turned perceptive gray eyes on her and he surprised her by changing the subject entirely, "Now that we are alone, my dear Manx, I would appreciate knowing a bit more about this young man who has stolen our little Omi's heart." He crossed his arms over his chest and added, "I've been the boy's physician for far too long for it to be any surprise that he has chosen a male for a lover. But *honestly*! Who made the decision to allow it to get this far without someone sending him to me for a chat, hmm? There *are* certain things I would have liked to be sure that he knew before he became sexually active regardless of the gender of his partner!"

The woman's face flushed a bright red and even as she spluttered and tried to find an answer that didn't leave her looking like a complete fool, the doctor's cell phone emitted the peaceful tune of Beethoven's "Pastorale." He reached for it where it rested tucked in a pocket of his white coat hopeful that his team's efforts had already met with success. 

"Norwegian here," he stated then smiled somewhat before adding, "Excellent work, Korat! Let the rest of the group know and tell Abyssinian that Manx and I are on our way in." Even as he finished speaking, he gestured for the woman to accompany him and they began to walk towards the intensive care unit.

Manx's face lost most of the blush as she followed the doctor and they approached an openly relieved yet utterly exhausted Aya who stood beside the slender black nurse who was explaining to the other new arrivals from Kritiker that they were to return. 

The scarlet-haired man walked toward them both, one hand extended in greeting toward the doctor and he exclaimed with far more emotion than normal, "Finally! Someone we can rely on to take proper care of things! I'm *very* glad to see you, Norwegian!" He shook the man's hand and allowed an atypical smile to show on his lips.

The portly doctor noted the fatigue that radiated from the man who was clearly stressed past the point of tolerance yet had continued to function and brought to bear one of his charming, fatherly smiles that always worked wonders with his patients. Keeping his hand on Aya's long enough to surreptitiously check his pulse, he answered, "I'm pleased to have gotten Manx's call, Abyssinian. Please understand that Siberian would have been transferred to my care at the Kritiker Medical Center if his condition had been better, but we'll do what we can for him right here at Tokyo General, all right?"

The Weiss swordsman nodded his understanding and asked, "That sounds great, doctor, but has anyone told you that Nagi's hurt? I think you might need to see him soon, too."

Looking shocked and more than a little frightened since anything that could bring the powerful telekinetic down would most likely pose a substantial threat to any non-psychic that faced it, Manx exclaimed, "What on Earth?! What happened to him, Abyssinian? Was anyone else injured?"

Realizing the error in his choice of words, Aya shook his head and sent scarlet earlocks dancing across his chest as he hurried to say, "No, that's not what I meant, Manx." 

The tiredness was effecting him so badly that the violet-eyed man no longer spoke the way he normally did as he explained angrily, "What I should've said was that he passed out earlier when some goddamned stupid bitch nurse didn't do her job right and left him and Bombay alone with Ken in the ICU. When Nagi fell, he got tangled in some of the wires and equipment that's connected to Ken, but Siberian wasn't hurt by it. Omi's a wreck again because of it and Yohji's taking care of them in a room down the hall." With a slightly hurt look on his face at the thought that his blond lover had failed not only himself but their friends as well, he asked, "Didn't Balinese call you about this?" 

Norwegian was puzzled. The way that the usually unflappable Abyssinian was bouncing from given names to code-names and back again was somewhat unsettling, but he didn't miss the undercurrent of strong, confused emotion in the assassin's voice as well as the excessive use of profanity. After making a mental note to try to get to the bottom of at least one of the problems Weiss was experiencing as quickly as possible by commanding the exhausted field-leader to get some rest, he listened as the woman explained the situation from her point of view.

"No, Aya, he didn't." Manx, too, had come to the conclusion that the violet-eyed man was too far gone to be trying to handle so much at once and she added more gently, "But I'm not surprised if Yohji couldn't reach me. I've been on the phone almost constantly trying to get things set up so that Norwegian, Korat, and Javanese can stay here throughout the duration of this crisis. I think we'd all feel better knowing that Ken was getting the very best of care, don't you?"

Aya simply nodded, suddenly aware that if she was calling him by name directly, he had obviously been somewhat out of character and he seemed to sag slightly as he asked, "Then who will you check on first, Norwegian? Siberian or Nagi?"

The doctor smiled reassuringly and answered, "I believe I'll ask Korat here to go and check on the condition of Bombay's friend while I take a look at Siberian, Abyssinian. I think that as soon as we can get things settled to your satisfaction, though, I'm going to have to insist that you get some sleep." Seeing the younger man preparing to refuse, he patted Aya on the shoulder and added quickly, "And the same can probably be said for Balinese and Bombay as well if they are as tired as you are, son. Really, you know you can trust us, let us carry the burden for a time, won't you?"

"I'll think about it," Aya sighed deeply, and let the fatigue make itself known as he turned to the slender black man who was awaiting a location and said, "Korat? Nagi was put into Room 121 by the hospital staff. Bombay and Balinese should both be there. Do you know how to get there?"

Korat nodded and accepted the assignment easily, "Certainly, Abyssinian, I'll go check on them immediately." He turned to his team leader and added, "Doctor? Will you be joining me shortly?"

Norwegian regarded the nurse fondly as he did all of his closest staff members and smiled, "I'll be there in ten or fifteen minutes, Korat. I'd like to think the people here aren't completely incompetent and would leave an unconscious boy alone. But call me if it's urgent, all right?"

"Of course," the ebony-skinned nurse smiled grimly and then turned to go in search of two members of Weiss and one from Schwarz, an odd grouping in his mind but one that he would do his best to assist nonetheless. He would pass both Sokoke and Javanese in the hallway en route and would explain the situation as best he could before sending both women to Norwegian for further instructions. 

In the intensive care unit, Manx watched as the Kritiker physician took a moment to review Ken's medical records while Aya allowed relief to flow through his veins and there were at least a few moments of peace before further developments could emerge.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] The members of the team Manx assembled here were given feline inspired code-names and even though I hadn't intended them to be more than a quick fix to save our angst-ridden young heroes, Melpomene plans to bring some of them back in the future. As always, each name was chosen carefully but instead of boring you with my reasoning, feel free to pick up a book on cat breeds and you might see what the Llama saw while naming these characters. After all, he's not a cat person and had to go to the public library and check out a guide himself! 

[extra] By the way, I apologize for creating even more original characters here. If the series creators had bothered to include more of a support structure for Weiss in the first place, I'd have gladly used their characters instead. Those of us who also write GW are luckier over there, there's an entire secondary cast to draw from. Right now I feel like tearing my hair out and screaming! Where's Sally Po when you need her?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 27 - 29 will be posted together. 


	28. An Insighful Conversation with an Old Fr...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 28/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 1245-1325 hours ++

*****

Despite forcing himself to uncomfortably stand leaning against a wall, Yohji soon found himself dozing. Angrily, he shook it off and took a quick glance at the heartwarming scene of the two boys snuggled together on the hospital bed, then moved to step outside the room intending to pace a bit and get his blood flowing again.

As he walked down the hall in the opposite direction from the intensive care unit, he heard a familiar voice call to him, "Balinese?"

Turning quickly, the wire-wielding assassin saw a man he'd never expected to encounter at Tokyo General Hospital yet was incredibly glad to do so. Slightly stunned, he exclaimed, "Korat? What are *you* doing here?" He strode towards the man, hand extended in greeting and added, "Damn, but am I glad to see *you*, man!"

A warm smile spread across the nurse's face, white teeth dazzling in contrast to the ebony of his complexion as he accepted the proffered hand and replied, "Manx called us in, Balinese." His smile faltered as he added more seriously, "It sounds as if Weiss is having a hell of a time here and could use some help."

Yohji ran a tired hand through lackluster blond locks and agreed, "That's for damned sure! I think we're being tested or something. It seems like everything that can go wrong has and, frankly, I didn't know how much longer we could hold out." He glanced past the nurse and frowned slightly and asked, "You made it sound like you're not the only one Manx brought in, but I don't see anyone else? Who's here and where are they?"

After his encounter with Aya, Korat fully expected to find Yohji in a state of near-collapse, yet he wasn't and seemed to be in fairly good spirits, all things considered. This surprised him to say the least, but he'd gladly take whatever small victories were offered and he answered, "Manx brought together the three of us from KMC who've had the most contact with Weiss. [1] Norwegian is team-leader and Javanese and I are here as well." 

"Hot damn!" Yohji exclaimed with open delight. "*Norwegian* is here? And you and Javanese both? Shit, we've got the crème de la crème of Kritiker Medical here now. There won't be any more fuck-ups now, thank the gods!"

A slight expression of embarrassment crossed the nurse's face after hearing the effusive praise and he promised, "Yes, that's what we're here for, to see to it that Siberian gets only the best of care and that there are no further complications." Deciding to mention the other person the red-haired Kritiker agent had brought along before going into the specifics of his own reason for being near Room 121, Korat added, "We've got a support staff member with us, too. Her code-name's Sokoke. She's one of Persia's administrative assistants."

"What do we need a secretary for?" The lanky blond asked, then yawned and looked puzzled.

"Manx said you needed a report written and she didn't feel you were in any shape to really worry over it, Balinese," Korat explained patiently. "Sokoke is fairly green and easily distracted, but I think she'll be fine. However, I'd have to agree with Manx, you look like you're in no shape to do much of anything right now. How are you feeling?"

Chuckling softly around another yawn as Yohji finally relaxed enough to let the fatigue he'd been fighting win a small victory, he replied, "You don't want to know." Then he recalled that the exotically handsome man in front of him was, after all, a highly trained nurse and he said, "Um, yeah, I guess you do. In all honesty, Korat, I feel like shit. I don't remember the last time I slept, I doubt I've eaten anything worth the money I paid for it in the cafeteria here, I've been run ragged, and the stress is about to kill me. Other than that, I'm peachy." The last sentence seemed to just slip out as the blond realized he sounded like he was whining and hated it.

The man standing in front of him, however, was nodding and making mental notes on a variety of topics, taking all of what he had been told into account before answering, "Well, Balinese, if you are indeed 'peachy', I would have to say you are a 'peach' on the verge of collapse. Once we get things under control, I intend to recommend you find a bed, get in it, and sleep as long as possible." He frowned when he saw the exhausted assassin begin to complain and added firmly, "It's *that* or face being forcibly admitted to the hospital and given the drugs necessary to *make* you get some sleep, Balinese."

Yohji was properly taken aback by the threat, one he was certain the other man had meant quite literally. Drawing in a deep breath and nodding his acquiescence, he answered, "All right, Korat, you win. No need for strong-arm tactics with me, *but* I'm holding you to the first part of that about getting things under control first." 

Korat nodded firmly, "Of course, Balinese. Norwegian and Javanese are with Manx and Abyssinian right now in the ICU getting things straightened out about Siberian. I was sent here because we were told that Bombay's companion passed out earlier and ought to be examined. How are both of them doing? Are they as bad off as yourself and Abyssinian are?"

Shaking his head, the jade-eyed man answered, "Theoretically, they should be in better shape than us, they got some sleep last night. But they both looked like hell earlier, too. I wasn't there when Nagi passed out, but Bombay was. Not too long ago, though, I think I saw Nagi came out of it for the most part and is just asleep now." He gestured at the closed door to the room where the two teens were and added, "Bombay's asleep now, too. Poor kid's had it rough this last day and a half. I think Norwegian needs to have a talk with him about handling some of it better, he keeps going off the deep end."

Frowning deeply, Korat compared his lengthy experience with the cerulean-eyed teen and what he was hearing now and it just didn't quite add up. 

First there had been the surprising announcement that Kritiker's beloved computer hacker and all-around tactical genius had become emotionally involved with a member of an enemy assassin team. Then there was the even more surprising news that not only his teammates but also the top two agents of the covert organization were supporting the relationship. It was clear to the nurse that these issues alone would create pressure for the boy, but to have the tragic events of the previous day added on top of everything else, it was almost a matter of course the he might experience a mild breakdown. Now that he combined that with the youth having seen his lover collapse for whatever reason only a short time prior, Korat came to an inescapable conclusion. 

With a thoughtful expression and a carefully non-accusatory tone, the nurse asked, "Do you actually think it's reasonable to expect a seventeen year old, no matter *how* well-trained he is, to be able to deal with a situation like this and *not* be overwhelmed by it, Balinese? I can assure you, Omi's one of the most amazing people I've ever met, yet when it comes right down to it, he's still a high school student even though we tend to forget that and think he's a lot older than he really is."

Yohji listened to what the man had to say and found himself nodding his agreement, but then he shook his head and admitted, "This is all true, Korat, but I don't know any other way to handle things like this. I can't imagine Weiss without him or him without us, but what else is there? This *is* his 'normal' life and we've got to do the best we can, right?"

"Right," Korat agreed then sighed and added, "At least Weiss has been deactivated for awhile. Perhaps this will be a good opportunity for your team to work together to find ways to insulate him somewhat from the pressure? Give him more time to be with his, um, what is the term your group uses for his relationship? Pardon my old-school way of thinking, but to call them 'lovers' seems a bit much."

A soft smile crossed the blond's face as he answered, "That's easy. I'd say we generally refer to them as 'boyfriends', but 'lovers' would be true, too. Probably in a purer sense of the word than you can use it for a lot of people." 

A quiet, wistful sigh then escaped his lips, as Yohji wished he could make the same claim for the relationship with his scarlet-haired lover as much as it already was for the brunette one as he added quietly, "They're connected at some level that's beyond me to understand or explain. Maybe that's why, when I caught them in the first place, I didn't just go ballistic and try to kill Nagi." 

The jade-eyed man shrugged, "He *was* the enemy, after all, and when I stumbled across them naked as birds and wrapped in each other's arms, my first thought was to pull my wire and kill the little punk who I assumed had messed with his head to seduce him. But then I saw the way Omi looked at him, those big blue eyes filled with an emotion it had taken me twenty-two years to find in my own, I just couldn't do it. That much love can't be faked."

Korat remained silent, yet he was incredibly grateful that in his exhaustion Balinese was providing the information the he and many others who had grown fond of the youngest member of Weiss would need to truly get past the boy's chosen love's background. Schwarz had been a thorn in Kritiker's side for so long, the idea that Omi was involved with one of its members had been terribly shocking. Hearing Yohji's insights, however, was allowing him to see the truth behind it and he listened as the other man's voice strengthened and he explained the way he felt about Nagi presently.

"Now, of course, everything's different. Nagi's almost like a fifth member of the team at times." Yohji glanced at the door again and remarked as if he'd forgotten he had an audience, "Like yesterday. If he hadn't been there to find Omiitchi when he did, I hate to think about what would've happened to him. He'd be in the morgue, I guess. I know that if it had been *me* on that bridge when he fell, the kid would've died and there would've been damned little I could've done to stop it."

An expression of self-hatred had entered jade eyes briefly yet it was banished by one of fierce affection and loyalty as he added, "But it wasn't me, it was someone better than me. Someone who could make a difference. Someone that I feel is as much a part of who we are as anyone else." He snorted softly and shook his head before strongly declaring, "Damn it all, I'd gladly take a fucking bullet for the kid if he needed me to! Hell, I say we give him a kitty-cat code-name, slap a flowershop apron on him and call him 'Weiss' just like the rest of us, Korat! I wouldn't let him out of our sight if it was my choice, you know?"

"You're quite fond of him, aren't you, Yohji?" Korat asked gently, well aware that at some point in the one-sided discussion of the Schwarz telekinetic, the other man had indeed been analyzing his own feelings for the boy as much as making him aware of the situation. 

Hearing his given name instead of his code-name, something he almost never heard from the man who was looking at him with so much understanding in deep mocha eyes, brought Yohji out of himself. He blinked for a moment, then nodded and very quietly admitted, "Yeah, Jacques, I really am. [2] Nagi's as much a part of my life now as Omi is. I hate to see either one of them suffering like this." 

The nurse smiled warmly at the man who had been a friend as well as a patient for several years and he promised, "Then by all means we shall see to it that he is restored to good health. As to making him a member of Weiss, well," he allowed a very rare smirk to flash across his lips as he continued, "that is *not* within the range of responsibilities of a nurse, by any means! For now, though, why don't we check on them both? I can't very well offer much of my professional assistance from out here, now can I?"

Chuckling softly around a yawn, Yohji agreed, "Sure thing. Just give me a second to get some water," he gestured towards a water fountain nearby and explained, "All that ranting left me with a dry throat." 

"Certainly," the ebony-skinned man nodded and waited patiently for him to return before entering the room where a young man he now very definitely wanted to meet was located. After all, if Nagi had charmed the precious and trusting Bombay into his bed, that was one thing, if he had succeeded in gaining as strong an ally as Balinese obviously was, that was quite another and Korat very much wished to meet the boy.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] "KMC" means Kritiker Medical Center and is an abbreviation that the characters may or may not use as suits their personalities and the mood of the moment. Furthermore, this totally Llama-created facility is envisioned as a stand-alone hospital with research labs as well as the physical therapy and rehabilitation services Ken would need.

[2] All right, I'll admit it even though it should be obvious, this character *isn't* named after a series creator. Korat will have a recurring role in the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity and for reasons that will become clear when Calico is more involved later, I decided this elegant, well-spoken, handsome, black, and unquestionably *male* nurse is of French heritage and he's been named after Jacques Cousteau. 

[extra] By the way, please *do* feel free to like (or even fall in love with) Korat, though, he's one of the good guys, as are Norwegian the kindly doctor, Javanese the woman who has some connection from the past with Manx, and Sokoke the slightly ditzy secretary. I worked hard to create interesting new characters here solely for the purpose of highlighting the *true* stars of the story, so let me know what you think of them, okay?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 27 - 29 will be posted together. 


	29. Prodigy's Awakening

Title: Cold November Rain [part 29/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 1245-1335 hours ++ 

[note: the events at the beginning of this Part are simultaneous with those in Part 28, hence the timestamp includes the same period]

*****

When the Korat had first called to Balinese in the hallway, the name was heard by another set of ears as well since Omi had been floating on the edge of wakefulness after sleeping for a short while.

Slowly, the Weiss archer swam through the haze of pseudo-sleep only to be totally confused when his eyes fluttered open and he found himself staring into a jumble of dark chocolate hair that seemed to be drizzled over his pillow like the richest of Hershey's syrups on vanilla ice cream. The scent of the Hilton's complimentary shampoo wafted around him and he realized he wasn't alone.

Nagi was in bed with him. 

Again. 

Omi smiled helplessly as his sleep-muddled mind continued to awaken and he thought that waking up to having his boyfriend in his arms was becoming a habit that he liked quite a bit. Of course, that momentary thought passed quickly as recent memory snapped back into focus, and he gasped, afraid that he had disturbed the unconscious youth unwisely and chastised himself for crawling into a hospital bed with someone who wasn't aware of his presence.

Before the blond teen could silently rail at himself, though, a quiet moan indicated his bedmate was not only no longer unconscious, but that he was about to wake up as well. 

Eager to make sure the one he loved was all right, it was all Omi could do to gently assist his boyfriend to wakefulness by asking in a hushed voice, "Nagi-love? Are you awake?"

"Nnnn," Nagi moaned softly again and then his head turned blindly towards Omi before eyes the color of a starlit midnight sky opened very slowly. The diminutive telekinetic had been left dreadfully weak by the events of the previous day as well as the tragic morning and it was harder than usual for him to find the energy to pull himself into full awareness. Somehow knowing he needed help waking up, he asked quietly in a wavering voice, "Omi-koi?"

The smile on the cerulean-eyed boy's face was warm and open as Omi answered by pulling the other boy close and saying, "Yes, love, it's just me. Are you okay?"

Sable eyelashes fluttered as Nagi fought to stay awake and he only answered, "I'm sleepy."

Omi moved to ruffle the boy's hair gently, wishing he could encourage him to rest more, but he was desperately concerned about Nagi's health and he asked again more firmly, "Nagi-love? I need to know, please, are you all right now? What happened earlier?"

"Earlier?" The confusion in the telekinetic's mind that echoed in his soft reply was lost as his eyes suddenly popped wide-open and he clamped a hand to his mouth to fight back the wave of nausea as he recalled what he'd seen that had caused him to pass out. Trembling almost violently and frightening the boy who was holding him close, Nagi whimpered softly and shook his head in a show of denial that his partner couldn't understand.

Too terrified to remain silent, Omi exclaimed, "What is it, love? Dear heavens, Nagi! *Please* what's wrong?!"

Continuing to tremble and face fading to white again, the younger teen finally gasped out, "It was horrible! All those things on Ken-kun, koi!" He swallowed a sudden mouthful of his stomach's uneasy contents and moaned, "Oh, gods, I think I'm going to be sick!"

Shocked, Omi scrambled from the bed and quickly retrieved a nearby plastic tray that would help if the shaken teen actually vomited, then quickly returned and sat beside the shaking boy. He immediately began rubbing Nagi's back comfortingly and said with an infinite sense of guilt as it became clear that he was indeed responsible for the overstressed telekinetic's earlier collapse, "I am *so* sorry about that, Nagi-love! I wasn't thinking and I wanted to see if it looked like Ken-kun was going to be okay, and, oh damn me for a fool, I am so, so, *so* sorry for all of this!"

Even as Omi babbled away, guilt in every word, Nagi took the offered comfort in his caresses and calmed down somewhat. Cheeks still an unhealthy pasty white, he looked up from where he lay on the pillow and said tiredly, "It's okay, koi, it was an accident." He sighed and let his eyes slip shut as he added mournfully, "I should've looked away."

Omi wouldn't accept that as an answer but finally realized that the tirades about his own guilt were helping no one and he deliberately clamped down on them in favor of making sure that the one he loved was going to be all right. Continuing to stroke Nagi's back, he asked, "Do you still feel sick, love? Should I call a nurse or something?"

"No, I don't think so," Nagi answered with a deep sigh as he hoped he was making the right decision, "I ought to be all right, I just need a moment or two to pull myself together." 

"Okay," the blond answered and set the tray on the opposite side of the bed where he could reach it in a hurry if it was needed after all, then he slipped down to lay snuggled beside his boyfriend once more.

After a few moments of cuddling, Nagi asked worriedly, "Is Ken-kun all right, koi? Did he wake up yet?" The Schwarz psychic had no idea how much time had elapsed and it seemed to him as if it had to be much later than it was since he felt utterly drained.

"Not yet," Omi answered sadly, then added after glancing at his watch, "It's only a little after 1, though. You weren't asleep very long, love. Neither was I for that matter, but so what? All that matters to me right at the moment is that *you're* awake and that you're okay."

"If you say so," Nagi answered without much enthusiasm. In his current run-down state, his thoughts were running in strange directions and even as he sighed again and simply lay quietly beside the Weiss archer, he wondered how things were at home.

Mental shields honed by years of practice had remained in place throughout the telekinetic's ordeal. They were a tool that he had been forced to attain at an early age during his training by Estet as well as through years of living with Schuldich. The telepath frequently tested his mental barriers not only for his own amusement but also to insure Nagi's safety from others with similar powers. He never wanted was to see the usually quiet boy who was like a little brother to him reduced to a vegetative state by a rogue psychic or turned into a killing weapon by another organization like Estet.

Knowing he could think it freely and remain undetected by the flame-haired man, Nagi silently mourned for any hardship he might be causing his teammates and wondered if they missed him, too. He wished he could safely call Schuldich or Farfarello to see how they were, but he feared encountering Crawford whose ability to command him was so strong he might not be able to resist an order to return at once. A random thought occurred to him that the German was most likely ready to kill him for taking the Ferrari, but he couldn't have been more wrong, Schuldich didn't care about the car as long as having it meant things might be easier for Nagi, wherever he was.

A small noise from the hallway interrupted his thoughts. Even though he couldn't make it out, in truth it was Yohji exclaiming about how strongly he felt about Nagi even though he stopped short of mentioning that he'd already been considering adding another colorful florist's apron to a supply order soon. 

Nagi sighed deeply before admitting, "I miss Schu and Farf, koi. Isn't that silly?"

Omi smiled sweetly at him and shook his head, "Not at all, love. You've told me plenty of times that they mean a lot to you. Why don't you call them and let them know that you're safe?

"Because then I might have to leave and go back," Nagi explained with another sigh, then frowned slightly, and remarked, "But then again, why do you suppose they haven't called me? I've had my cell phone with me all this time."

Shrugging, the older teen answered, "I have no idea. Maybe they trust you enough to know you'll come back when you can?"

Unexpectedly, Nagi snorted softly, "*That'll* be the day! No, whenever I get back, Crawford will probably have my pay docked as a punishment and I'll have to do all of the chores around the penthouse for a month or something idiotic. [1] It'll probably get pretty ugly, but I don't care, I want to stay with you until we're sure Ken-kun's going to be okay again." He shook his head and then sighed as he heard the door opening, thereby ending the discussion. 

"Omiitchi?" Yohji called softly as he peeked through the barely opened door. Seeing two sets of blue eyes peering back at him from the bed, he smiled warmly and pushed the door open wider and stepped inside, asking, "Nagi? Are you feeling better now, bishounen?"

Neither of the two boys noticed Korat who was slightly shorter than Yohji and standing behind him, deliberately blocked from view so he could get a first impression of the youth the young archer had fallen in love with. The ebony-skinned man couldn't see much more than an elfin face that was too pale to be healthy and deep blue eyes that held a mysterious mix of emotions, the dominant ones of which were love, relief, and an almost indefinable soul-weariness he'd rarely seen in one so young. It was obvious to him that this person had had a very difficult life and it only made Nagi seem all the more fascinating to the nurse.

Unaware that he was being observed, Nagi allowed a shy smile to creep onto his lips and he answered, "I'll be fine, Yohji-kun. I'm really tired, though." He sat upright and rubbed at the back of his head and added as if surprised, "I've got a headache, too. I don't usually get one of those when I pass out, though."

Concerned, Yohji frowned and stepped farther into the room wanting to ask for more information and Omi looked like he felt the same way, but a melodious male voice interrupted all of them by saying simply, "Hello, Bombay."

Two sets of blue eyes turned towards the slender black man standing in the open door dressed in a non-specific medical professional's outfit, his poise obvious and his air elegant even as Omi exclaimed with delight, "Korat!! What are *you* doing here?" He gave Nagi a happy smile, then scrambled out of bed and rushed over to actually embrace the man, hugging him with the same enthusiasm that he usually showed Yohji or Ken, but thinking that Aya wouldn't appreciate being hugged, he usually kept his greetings for him more sedate.

Warmth filled mocha eyes as the nurse returned the embrace gladly, one didn't provide medical care to a boy like Omi for years without becoming accustomed to his delightful personality and this was part and parcel of that. With an adoring smile, he released the teen and answered, "Manx asked me to come and help out and I was only too glad to do so, but that's a long story and I believe there is someone here that I would very much like to meet." He glanced meaningfully at the boy in the bed and let Omi proceed at his own pace.

A slow blush painted itself across peaches-and-cream cheeks as he realized the man had seen him in bed with his chosen love and the genki youth exclaimed, "Oh my!" 

The blush deepened when Yohji chortled quietly from where he had moved to stand reassuringly close to the Schwarz telekinetic, and Omi continued, "All right. Korat, I'd like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Naoe Nagi." He looked at his boyfriend pleadingly as he said carefully, "Nagi-love? This is my friend Korat. He's a nurse from Kritiker Medical Center. I've known him forever and I consider him a *very* good friend."

Nagi worried at his lower lip with his teeth. He felt distinctly uncomfortable with coming under the scrutiny of yet another Kritiker operative. Despite the man's profession, Korat was technically still regarded as an operative and all of the psychic's Estet training immediately told him to not trust the stranger. 

Realizing that the sable-haired boy was having as much trouble accepting the new arrival as he feared he might, Yohji reached out and placed a warm comforting hand on a too-slender shoulder and squeezed it gently before saying, "It's all right, Nagi. I can vouch for him, too. Korat has helped Weiss more times than I can begin to count. You can trust him as much as you do any of us."

"Really?" Large dark blue eyes gazed up at him and Nagi agreed to try, "All right, Yohji-kun, if you and Omi both say he's okay, then of course I'll trust him."

"Good," jade eyes smiled tiredly yet were clearly pleased as he added, "because one of the things we need for him to do is give you a check-up to make sure you're okay after passing out like that. Will that be okay with you?"

Nagi swallowed thickly. He hated doctors in general, and the ones who worked for Estet were predominantly cruel people who were there since their medical licenses were revoked for mistreating their patients and could no longer practice publicly. But when he saw the pleading look in Omi's eyes, he nodded solemnly then returned to the earlier ritualized introductions and spoke more firmly, "It's nice to meet you, Korat. Um, do we need to do that check-up right away?" 

The nurse had waited patiently as the obviously frightened Schwarz psychic had established that he was trustworthy and now stepped farther into the room, letting the boy become accustomed to his nearness as he answered, "Not right this moment, Naoe-san. I need to alert my supervisor that you are conscious and we'll take things from there, all right?"

"'Your supervisor'?" Nagi asked in confusion, he wondered just how many Kritiker agents were wandering the halls of Tokyo General, didn't they have a medical facility of their own they needed to be in? Then he added, "Oh, and call me just 'Nagi,' please. I'm sorry, was I supposed to call you 'Korat-san'? I'm not very good with formal addresses and introductions as you might have noticed." 

Normally, in circumstances when the telekinetic was expected to accompany Crawford on an assignment where he was likely to meet people, the American always taught him exactly what to call particular individuals and if he wasn't instructed to speak to someone, he was expected to keep his mouth shut. As Schuldich liked to point out, the less they said aloud the greater the fear factor that Schwarz could generate by communicating through their shared mental speech channels. It made them seem otherworldly when they moved and acted as one apparently without words to guide their actions.

Korat actually chuckled openly at the endearing manners the petite boy was displaying, it was no wonder to him that all of Weiss had apparently become so enamored with him. He shook his head and pulled out his cell phone, dialing and holding it to his ear as he answered, "No, Nagi. 'Korat' is just a code-name like 'Bombay' or 'Balinese'. It would be odd to hear anyone add an honorific to one of those, don't you agree?"

Nagi nodded and was pleased when Omi came over to sit next to him on the bed again. The blond youth immediately laced their fingers together and looked almost as happy as he had when they were playing Yahtzee earlier and thinking that Ken was waking up. The younger teen sighed and leaned his head tiredly against Omi's shoulder while glancing at Yohji who had dropped into the empty chair by the bed and was yawning repeatedly. While the nurse turned away and talked into the phone, he asked quietly, "Yohji-kun? Are you all right?"

Yohji shook his head, but felt relieved to finally be able to start answering this oft-repeated question honestly, "I'm afraid not, bishounen. I'm bone-tired and feel like I could sleep for a week. But you haven't even heard half of the good news yet, so I'm staying awake for *that*! After I see Kenken again, I think I'll go crash for awhile."

Interest piqued, Omi entered the conversation to ask, "There's *more* good news, Yohji-kun? Do you mean Ken-kun's awake?!"

Shaking his head sadly, Yohji finished another huge yawn and answered, "Not *that* good, I'm afraid, Omiitchi. But give Korat a chance to finish talking on the phone and we'll give you a full update, okay?"

Trying to be patient and finding it was a little harder than he had thought it might be due to his own overtired condition, Omi nodded and slipped a warm and supportive arm around Nagi who was lightly dozing once more. 

The arrival of the three highly trained medical personnel was indeed excellent news and the details hadn't even been fully explained, yet there was more reason to be hopeful now than before. Norwegian brought more than skill and the rare talent of bringing calm and reassurance where it was most needed, he also had a few secrets in the supplies that were en route from a Kritiker research laboratory that was destined to make a huge difference in Siberian's recovery. Javanese and Korat both would each have their own role to play in restoring good health to all five young assassins involved in the dramatic events following Ken being gunned down in battle. As to the young secretary Sokoke, it was unclear whether she would even be useful to the team at all, but only time would tell.

Although things were certainly improving there were still many dangerous turning points yet to come and not even Omi in his currently optimistic mood would have assumed the pain and sorrow were truly over. An assassin's life simply held too much of a propensity for angst and he knew it.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] In this continuity, Crawford is busy pretending not to act like Nagi's father even though he really does, so I decided against foreshadowing Nagi being grounded or anything after he goes home. But since Brad is and always will be a man for whom money means a great deal, I assumed he might go after him this way. Then again, this is just more evil foreshadowing and it could be all wrong and the precog could go crazy and beat him with one of Takatori's golf clubs since he let Reiji do that to Schuldich and Farfarello in the series. Only Melpomene knows for sure, though. Opinions?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 27 - 29 will be posted together. 

As a follow-up to last time, this evening's posting run is dedicated to some of the specific people who leave me comments at fanfiction.net that bring a huge smile to my face and inspiration for Melpomene to keep beating on me to write more! 

{gets out the now familiar Horn of Friendship, tries out a new tune that is really, *really* bad, then plays reveille (blech, had to look up the spelling on *that* one!) in a failed attempt to wake fatigued self back up, then puts it aside to cheerfully gush over fans}

Now, in no particular order, I wish to give salutes to just a few of the many people who have left me notes there. Granted, there isn't space for me to do everyone that ever left me a note--heck, my fingers are tired after typing all night, you know!--but I do appreciate each and every reviewer all the same. These folks just happened to catch my eye in one way or another and you might see what I mean as you read!

Priscilla: Who is ever faithful! She gives me the coolest comments that are in-depth and touch on everything from the pain she shared with the characters as she read to letting me know what she enjoyed thank to my literary style. To be told that my "absolutely vivid and descriptive" words made her blanch last night was a high honor! Of course, the fact that I not only made her cry {hands dear friend a whole box of tissues, she'll need it for future parts of this series} but it was at work, no less! Wow, such dedication to read my small offering of angst! Best of all, she appreciates my sense of duty to my koi and will be awaiting more of this as soon as it's ready, right, Priscilla?

e.e: Whose pen name alone is reason for celebration, ne? And better yet, e.e sends me nice informative and inspirational notes for virtually each and every Part and thereby makes my muses go nuts trying to add things in for e.e to enjoy based on those comments. Did anyone beside me catch that e.e spotted Omi as the reason Ken would wake up the first time? Granted it was very brief, but he came to ever so slightly at the sound of Omi's voice raised in anguish, so it counts! Bravo!

Yanagi-sen: Who has added notes here only a couple of times, but in all honesty, this lovely lady keeps me going day in and day out with lengthy private responses to the fic that never fail to make me smile ear-to-ear! She's an incredible writer, too, and as soon as Melpomene is done killing me with this one and Erato stops hurting me with the Cowboy Bebop lemon giftfic, I'm getting me a big bag of dark chocolate-covered coffee beans and I'm going to sit down and read some! Nice to know there's a real treat waiting for me there, no da! 

DragonSoul: Who is listed here for a dozen adorable reasons not the least of which is that she's a big Calico fan! Damn, won't *she* be a happy girl when the orange-haired bastard's secrets begin to be revealed? {whispers "there's tiny bits of foreshadowing for him absolutely everywhere, ds! look for them carefully!"}

Zania, the Lemon Princess: Who has brought me smiles both at fanfiction.net and directly to my inbox! Everybody who likes this story owes her thanks, too, since she's inspiring me a lot, especially with that adorable picture of Nagi holding Omi in his lap! If she shares one of Aya and Yohji, too, that would be cool, ne? I'm looking forward to hearing her reactions to tonight's "50% More Free!" offering, too!

tenken: Who is right, I *am* evil! Oh, tenken? You might want to plan on getting a fork or a knife for your peanut butter later this Spring. As long as my fingers don't fall off or I fall in love with some other roving band of bishounen who cart me away {less than subtle hint that someone sent the llama Saiyuki tapes and heaven only knows what might happen if he watches them!} I have every intention in the world of making Yohji stop. Smoking, that is. Most of his other bad habits will remain intact. {heheheh} 

bearilou: Who is a dedicated friend who put up one of the nicest things I could've possibly read during a dark moment back around Part 17! It really made life more tolerable and it made writing fun again, too. As for the pineapple juice, well, it didn't work on the migraine but my chibis loved the mock-piña coladas I made for them with it later! {winks at bear and toxic and goes back to writing dedication goodies}

P. S. Speare: Who I also adore at the MLs and who is busy bribing me with warm, ooey-gooey-good cyber brownies fresh from the oven in the hopes of getting a Brad/Schu lemon. Hmm, wonder how she liked that scene with them in cuddling together in bed recently? 

Lilas: Whose notes are always short and fun, but with comments like "YAY!!! HE TWITCHED!!!! That's good news!!! I hate the forshadowing! It's worst than cliffhangers, and those are pretty bad!!! WRITE MORE SOON!" what's not to love about a review like that?

Mr. Peabody: Who is a silly Weisshund that cracks me up! Not *all* reviews have to be serious, but that one about Farf wanting blood? Nani? {heheh}

Last but not least, allow me to salute a new friend there who has only left one note but that was because she hadn't read the fic until now:

Skyschneckchen: Who I believe must have a *very* tired bottom as well as an annoyed mother after reading this entire thing in one day! Wow! I'm really glad Skyschneckchen liked the fic after putting *that* much effort into reading it!

{blows the Horn of Friendship one last time then puts it away with a sigh, he'll miss using it for a few days and then the llama turns to the "biggie" topic at hand}

Well, if we've gotten this far, it must be time for more information on the hiatus the fic is about to go on, ne? I know that many people wish I wouldn't put this one on "pause", but as the old saying goes, my word is my bond and a promise was given to my kitten way back when I thought this story couldn't possibly be longer than 15 or 20 Parts!

{falls on floor and rolls around laughing insanely at how much more it's turned out to be! those of you who read GW-llama stuff might find this amusing--or *terrifying* as the case may be--but as of tonight, *this* story is now larger in terms of space taken up on my zip drive than "Unconditional Gifts" was! scare *me* twice! and this one's not even finished yet! arghhhh!}

So, imagine my surprise as the deadline for beginning her birthday story so it would be on time eventually arrived and I was all the way back at barely getting Kenken out of surgery! I considered writing both at the same time, but the last time I tried that, I ended up doing a variation on a Reese's Peanut Butter Cups commercial! I got angst in my lemon and lemon in my angst! It was a mess and I ended up trashing one of the two pieces entirely and to this day, I won't risk *that* again! 

This brings us here and to a dead halt on "Cold November Rain" for a little while. 

{stops to hand out tissues to a few people and Pocky to those of you who prefer that to olive branches then continues while winking at email friend who mentioned that}

I ran my plans for the future of this arc before and I hope you can tell I don't intend to walk away from this and leave you hanging for too terribly long. Unfortunately, the pressure of writing so much angst each and every day kind of got to me this week so I want to take it easy on the posting runs after the lemon goes out and get the rough draft finished before I begin again. 

Of course, as you all know by now, I'm a glutton for attention and if someone wants to hurry me along with some bribe artwork or a note like Nagi used to get from Omi, maybe this will resume sooner. But if things stay as they are, please look for more of "Cold November Rain" before next weekend, okay? Luckily for you and me both, I loathe, hate, and despise watching the Olympics on TV, so I won't be off doing that instead of staying here at my keyboard slaving away to entertain you! 

{Melpomene cracks the Whip of Doom, winks evilly, then tells the llama to shut up and get some sleep at *way* too late for even an abnormal person like *him* to be awake when there are cruel bishounen torture inspiring dreams to be had there!}

Ah me. That's it, I'm done. 

Thanks for sticking with me for the extra long dedication list, these fine people really *do* deserve far more, but I hope this will be enough for now. Please let me know what you thought of these last three big parts before the hiatus, it almost killed me to write and edit for almost *nine* hours straight on them plus the intro and end notes, plus formatting, and posting at fanfiction.net with only a break for ramen noodles! 

Sayonara!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who will mention the title of the Cowboy Bebop lemon when he gets back in case anyone wants to take a peek at where he went while you hated him and wanted to know what the heck the last paragraph at the end of this Part *really* meant. ah, angst! lovely, lovely angst! and foreshadowing, too! {vanishes laughing evilly while also yawning like a three-toed sloth})

Posted 09 February 2002, ~5:45am.


	30. The Situation Begins to Improve

Attention fanfiction.net Friends:

Greetings and welcome back to the Angst Theatre for the first time in much too long! 

{stops and bows deeply since this group more than any other is responsible for the return of Posting runs for this story since it's been an uphill climb all the way around and the continued support here has been wonderful!}

My sincere apologies for being AWOL far longer than originally planned, but after I completed the birthday fic for Ryoko, helped both of my kids get through Science Fair Projects for school, etc., I was just too wiped out to get back to work on this sooner. However, that was then, this is now, and instead of listening to me whining about it, why don't we get back to the action of Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny"?

{stops rambling, goes to get the tuxedo borrowed from Vicious out of the bags from the dry cleaners, slips it on, lights the marquee which reads "Cold November Rain" and then smiles and hands you a playbill}

Tonight's performance opens with Part 30, wherein the situation at Tokyo General Hospital begins to improve even more as Norwegian and his team continue to work to insure Siberian's proper care as well as seeing to it that the other members of Weiss plus Nagi are given what they need. The second portion of our program is Part 31 where a previously untold story from the past is told and the happy thoughts that come from it encourage feelings of hope for all those who hear it.

One key thing I ought to point out here and now is that, sadly, I wasn't able to meet my own goal of finishing the rough draft for the entire fic before returning to posting since my muses needed encouragement and kind of stopped working for me over the weekend. However, even though they aren't in peak condition right now, virtually *all* of the remaining Parts are too long to go without being broken into pieces so beware of "instant gratification" flags flying night after night around here! Just to keep you apprised of the length it's at, I'm roughly 2/3 of the way through Part 41 now and have yet to even get around to sending Nagi home to Schwarz yet! Arghhh! This *incomplete* fic is now 160% of the size of the *finished* version of "Unconditional Gifts" and all my GW fans can tell you *that* is a very scary fact to know!

{frightens self as much as fans and wonders if the madness of CNR will never end, decides it has to if for no other reason than Erato wants to go back to writing lemons soon, then wraps this up with an additional dose of gratitude}

Before I turn you loose on the new Parts may I take a moment to thank those of you who left encouraging words while the fic was on hiatus both here and directly to my email? Once upon a time it was a truly a rare day when I had to go without being on-line but somewhere along the line in February it happened for a week solid and due to limited free time, I'm *still* not caught up! So, there's people like Cat, Yanagi-sen, and e.e who I want to write back to regarding comments left here, but it was stop and spend a few evenings writing private notes *or* get the story posted again. But since they are all kind and generous friends, I hope they can forgive me for choosing to share with the many before sharing with the few. 

Here's hoping that what you are about to read is worth the wait! Please keep in mind, this is a transition point in the story and while these two pieces aren't action-packed they are filled with backstory and more than a little of that lovely evil foreshadowing that several folks enjoy even if it *is* quite subtle for a change! 

Enjoy the Milder Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who never did get a chance to catch up on his mail and finally gave up on doing *either* that *or* begin posting again, there's just too many people eagerly and politely requesting more of this to withhold it any longer!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 30/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 1335-1350 hours ++ 

*****

Standing near a window in the intensive care unit and ignoring the lessening drizzle of rain on the glass nearby, Norwegian spoke on the phone with Korat, pleased that at least one situation was already improving if Nagi was awake again. 

Javanese and Aya were together in Ken's room, the experienced nurse going over the injured man's sutures one by one, confirming the total absence of signs of impending infection or other complications with a smile. The scarlet-haired man was so focused on the woman's efforts and words of reassurance after each site had been thoroughly checked, that he unwittingly allowed a small atypical smile of exhausted relief to spread onto his face. 

Standing outside the treatment room, Manx was being debriefed by a most apologetic Egami, a man who was as appalled as any one else was over the pair of serious acts of negligence committed by two of Tokyo General's staff. The surgeon had already placed a call to Yamanaka and she had agreed to come in and he felt relieved that she would give up her day off, he didn't know who else to trust at that point. Despite the presence of the two highly skilled Kritiker nurses, he knew the hospital itself needed to have a staff member on duty all the same.

The only person in the intensive care unit who didn't have anything to do at that point was the honey-blond secretary, Sokoke, and she felt fairly useless because of it. She sat at the desk where Norwegian had told her to stay since she wasn't qualified to be involved in the medical efforts and let her chin sink into the palm of one hand as she peered through the window of the treatment room with Aya and Javanese. Wondering why the violet-eyed assassin didn't seem as scary as she had expected him to be after transcribing the report for Persia as well as hearing Korat's words of warning regarding him, she decided it was probably because he seemed so terribly worried about his teammate. 

The blond woman wasn't brilliantly intelligent neither was she stupid and the looks of concerned love for the unconscious brunette that the Weiss swordsman usually hid were somehow more evident to her than they were to others. Sighing and shaking her head as she wondered if she'd ever find anyone to care as much about her as the slender, pale man cared for his partner, she glanced over to her team-leader and saw Norwegian beckoning her to approach. 

Eager to have something useful to do, Sokoke rose and walked towards him with a hopeful smile then waited until he ended his call to ask, "Yes, Norwegian? Is there something that I can do for you, sir?"

The portly doctor gave her one of his warm, benevolent smiles and nodded even as he wrote something on a sheet of paper in a small notebook that he then tore out and handed to her, saying, "I'd like to ask a favor of you, dear. Could you go to the cafeteria and get the following items for me? I think we need to see to it that our people here get a good meal before they collapse." Even though she was nodding and looking over the list thoughtfully trying to make sure she understood exactly what he wanted, the doctor paused and gazed at her for a moment, then apologized, "I'm so sorry, Sokoke. I should have asked if you minded being sent on such an errand."

The secretary looked up into friendly gray eyes and blinked uncomprehendingly before asking, "Why would I mind, Norwegian?" 

He frowned slightly and shook his head in the kindly, fatherly way he did when he was trying to come to an understanding with one of his personnel and he regretted not knowing the young woman better than he did. Then he explained, "Well, I've been told that some administrative assistants don't like to be asked to get things like food or drinks this way. That they've been trained for other things and this seems beneath them. Does it bother you?"

The blond shook her head and shrugged slightly, answering with an unexpectedly practical air to her, "I don't mind, doctor. If they need something to eat, they need something to eat. It's all part of our mission, isn't it?"

"Yes, my dear, indeed it is!" Norwegian beamed at her, pleased to have gotten her on his team after all. Even as he took the note back and indicated the budget code that could be used by the cafeteria personnel to cover all of the needs of the increased Kritiker staff present, he added, "That's a marvelously pragmatic attitude you have, Sokoke. I appreciate that, it makes things so much easier."

Delighted with the praise, the young woman smiled brightly and responded, "Thank you, sir. Where would you like me to bring the food? I saw a sign in here that it wasn't allowed in the ICU, so is there another room you want it in?"

Utterly charmed by her eagerness to help, he patted her warmly on the back and praised her yet again, "Very observant of you, dear. Why not take it to Room 121? That's where at least three of the people we've come here to help should be located and by the time you get back, hopefully Abyssinian and myself will be there as well."

"All right," she smiled again and said, "I'll get everything you specified and meet them there soon, Norwegian. Bye!" She waved farewell with an endearingly youthful gesture that served to remind him she was only barely older than the scarlet-haired man who was following Javanese's every move intently, and he sighed. 

Indulging himself for the briefest of moments, the physician gazed at the patient room where the dark-haired nurse continued her thorough examination of the immobile Siberian, attention focused on the exhausted figure of the man code-named "Abyssinian." It was blindingly clear to anyone who knew him that Aya was still standing due to sheer force of will, a stubbornness that was as much a hallmark of his personality as the perpetual scowl he showed when the nurse noted a small problem with a monitor patch. Even as Javanese repositioned a heart-monitor wire, Norwegian noted the rarely seen yet totally understandable look of sorrow that flitted past violet eyes and he sighed deeply. 

Unlike the situation with Omi and Nagi, there had been no surprise when the elder members of Weiss formed a romantic triumvirate and he'd assumed it was actually a good thing that the usually icy Abyssinian was warming up to his partners enough to make such a change. Yet he'd known the other two men involved had been deeply devoted to one another for some time prior to the seduction of the katana-wielding assassin and he wondered if the relationships amongst them were taking as much of a beating as their bodies were. Shaking his head free of the imponderables, he moved to join the nurse and the Weiss swordsman, hoping to get the latest information available before taking further action.

Standing in the open door of the small room, he slipped his hands in the pockets of his white coat and asked, "Well, Javanese? How does it all look?" He had already done his own examination of the injured man and had reviewed the brunette's patient chart, yet he had left the job of insuring the details were all in order to his trusted associate.

The woman glanced at the doctor with a grim smile and a nod, "Siberian is in fairly good condition, all things considered, Norwegian." Straightening the sheet back to cover Ken's unmoving body carefully, she explained, "Despite their apparent inability to follow some of their own security rules or even to cope with certain emergencies, I'd say that the post-op care he's been receiving is as good as we could have hoped for. The incisions are closed properly, all tubing and sites of penetration by various devices and catheters are in excellent condition, his vital signs are stable and have been since the incident earlier. I'd say that all that remains now is for him to regain consciousness and we can estimate his expected time until recovery from there."

Norwegian frowned, he didn't want to place unfounded expectations in the mind of the relieved looking scarlet-haired man and he added with only a slight amount of reproach, "While I'm quite pleased to hear that Siberian's doing well despite everything that has happened, keep in mind it's been less than 24 hours since he came out of surgery, Javanese. There is nothing new known yet regarding certain injuries and we must be careful not to give the impression of false hope, you know." 

Glancing apologetically at Aya, the nurse said, "Oh! I'm sorry, Abyssinian, I didn't mean to make it sound as if I felt this was *all* that he needed by any means. There's much to do and some uncertainty will remain for some time."

"I understood that," the violet-eyed man defended the woman and looked at the doctor before saying with an exhausted sigh, "I'm tired, Norwegian, not overly optimistic. All I wanted to know was whether or not Siberian had been harmed when Nagi collapsed and if his surgery had been handled properly. I hadn't expected more other than that."

The woman flashed him an appreciative glance that turned into a frown as she saw a wave of fatigue practically wash over the slender man and she asked, "If you're satisfied with leaving Siberian in our care now, would you please consider getting some rest yourself, Abyssinian? I promise that he won't be left unattended now that Korat and I are here."

Aya sighed audibly and nodded, grateful all over again that the pair of highly-trained Kritiker nurses intended to take alternating twelve-hour shifts so that they could remain in the intensive care unit with Ken at all times. He glanced at Manx who was speaking earnestly with the salt-and-pepper-haired surgeon and asked, "Does Dr. Egami have any input on the situation I need to know about, or should I go check on the others now, Norwegian?" He looked slightly pained as he added, "I really ought to see how Bombay is doing. I'm relieved that Korat let us know Nagi awoke, but if I know Bombay, he's probably worried about Siberian right now."

The physician frowned slightly, shaking his head as he answered, "No, there's nothing else you need to hear from us, but don't you think that Balinese wants to know how Siberian is as well, Abyssinian? He's undoubtedly as worried as the rest of you are."

With a dejected shrug of his shoulder, Aya let his head drop down a bit and he looked at the floor as he answered, "I doubt he'll take my word for it, Norwegian." He sighed again then found the inhalation of air transformed into a yawn and he commented tiredly, "Never mind, that's my problem, not yours. If he wants to see how things are here, he can call you on your cell phone, right?"

The nurse flashed a concerned glance at the physician who seemed displeased with the entire situation of the Weiss team dynamics, yet they both wisely attributed much of the difficulty to exhaustion.

Stepping farther into the room and wrapping a fatherly arm around the man whose own life he'd saved a time or two, Norwegian offered quietly even as the nurse left the room and hearing range, "Of course, Aya. We'll be glad to take whatever steps are necessary to keep all of you informed regarding Ken's condition. If anything changes, we'll see to it that you're notified at once, all right?"

Weary violet eyes lifted and took comfort in warm gray ones as the assassin asked, "Do you promise to wake us up and let us know if Ken comes to, Norwegian? I really don't think I can sleep if I think he might be awake for awhile and not have one of us with him as soon as possible after that happens."

The doctor found this an impossibility, yet didn't gainsay it, instead he chose to promise firmly, "Absolutely, son. The minute we think Ken's regaining consciousness, someone will let you know." He patted the exhausted man's shoulder with fatherly affection and added, "But why don't you and I *both* go down and check on the others? Sokoke is getting some food for all of you and I wanted a chance to meet Omi's friend."

Nodding tiredly, Aya almost regretted the loss of warmth as the man's hand fell from his shoulder and they walked past Manx and Egami who were pouring over some records together. The redheaded woman mentioned catching up with them later, trusting Norwegian to take better care of matters than she could right at the moment since her heart was filled with rage that both Ken and Nagi had been endangered by Takeshi's foolishness. Yohji had been quite right, she was indeed "pissed" about the error and if she'd been able to get her hands on the nurse, it would've been a good bet that there would've been a fairly spectacular confrontation.

The two men began to walk away from the intensive care unit down a suddenly long-seeming hallway and the doctor asked as casually as possible, "So, tell me, Abyssinian, how do you think Balinese is holding up under this pressure? A few of the things you've said have me worried."

Aya shook his head and ran a hand through limp scarlet hair in a failed attempt to conceal a sudden look of pain and sorrow before his exhaustion overcame his ability to hide his feelings and he admitted, "Hell if I know, Norwegian. Something's bothering him above and beyond what's happened to Ken and Nagi, but he's shut me out entirely." 

The unfamiliar tone of defeat in Aya's voice was almost more terrifying than his words as he added, "If it was me in that room back there," he gestured over one shoulder at the intensive care unit, "instead of Ken, I'm sure Yohji would have talked to him about whatever it is that's bothering him. Damn it all, but I just feel so fucking *useless* at times!"

The physician was shocked by not only the violet-eyed man's words but his attitude as well and he corrected, "You are far from 'useless,' Aya. You should realize that neither of you is functioning well right now and that's probably what's coming between you more than anything else. After you both get some food and rest things should improve."

Shaking his head again and stifling a yawn, the swordsman insisted, "I doubt that will make a difference, doctor. He needs *Ken* right now, not me."

Norwegian stopped stock-still in the hallway and drew the scarlet-haired man to a halt as well and said compassionately, "He needs you *both*, Aya, you have to understand that. This is indeed the worse injury any member of Weiss has ever suffered in the line of duty and he may feel as much guilt about it as you do, but he undoubtedly needs the support of all those around him." His voice dropped a bit as he added pointedly, "Friends and lovers *both* are what Yohji needs right now."

Guilt-ridden amethyst eyes gazed at the floor and Aya nodded tiredly, trying to take to heart what the man had said before replying, "I'll try, Norwegian. I've never been good at expressing or even understanding my own emotions at times, trying to deal with someone else's is even more confusing."

"I realize that," the doctor assured, and patted him on the arm before indicating that they should continue down the hallway towards their rendezvous with Korat and his other patients, then added, "Just give it time, Aya. After some food and sleep, hopefully you'll both be more capable of coping with the situation."

Aya merely nodded and followed obediently, not feeling particularly more hopeful than before but certainly not less. 

Norwegian noted the exhausted man's return to silence with unhappiness. He never claimed to be a psychiatrist, but he certainly had enough experience to recognize certain signs of depression when he saw them and if the situation that was brewing amongst the Weiss threesome didn't improve radically when Ken awoke, there might be a serious problem later. As it was, though, he was sufficiently confident in his associates' abilities to care for the injured man and with a modicum of luck a certain shipment would arrive soon that ought to improve matters considerably. 

After all, what was needed most by virtually every one of those currently involved was the return to awareness of the central figure in this drama and following that, what was needed further was to eliminate certain worries regarding his recovery, something Norwegian alone thought he could very nearly guarantee.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 30 & 31 will be posted together. 


	31. A Tender Memory Shared Encourages Hopefu...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 31/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 1350-1430 hours ++ 

*****

When Aya and Norwegian finally arrived at Room 121, they paused briefly to knock at the closed door and waited patiently, assuming correctly that Nagi was being given an exam by one of the finest nurses the Kritiker Medical Center had on its staff.

The door swung open to reveal a greatly relieved jade-eyed blond who greeted the newcomer with a broad smile, "Norwegian! It's great to see you!" He offered his hand to the older man who shook it warmly and then half-smiled at his lover, yet violet eyes missed the brief expression of hope that they might both get some rest soon and possibly get a few problems worked out between them, too. 

Disappointed by that, Yohji followed Aya's line of sight, and saw Nagi buttoning the borrowed shirt closed over a too-thin chest with an embarrassed expression on his pale features. The diminutive telekinetic really hadn't wanted to let the ebony-skinned man give him even a brief check-up, but Nagi certainly wasn't immune to the power of his boyfriend's cerulean eyes set on "hurt puppy gaze, level 10."

At almost the same moment, Korat and Omi both glanced at the door and spotted the physician and the scarlet-haired assassin. 

After a quick, delighted smile directed at his boyfriend whom he was quite grateful to for everything, the genki teen hopped down from the edge of the bed where he'd been perched while the nurse performed the brief check-up, and dashed over to the new arrivals. 

Omi threw his arms as far around the portly doctor's waist as he could get them and greeted the man in his usual enthusiastic fashion and unnecessarily declared, "Norwegian! You really *are* here! I'm so glad!" He hugged the man tightly and allowed a great deal of his continued misgivings to flow out of him, then he peered at the man and asked with a more restrained voice, "Did you see Ken-kun, doctor? Is he going to be okay?"

The Kritiker physician regarded his long-time patient and much-loved friend with a warm smile for a moment before drawing the boy back into the embrace that he, too, found comfort in before saying, "Ah, Omi! I'm so pleased that Manx called me!" He released the youth and added with a sad shake of his head, "Yes, I did indeed see Ken, but I'm sorry, there's no way to say right now if he'll be 'okay' or not, young one. There's so many different factors at work here, it would be irresponsible of me to assure you he'd be all right at this point." The efforts he had secretly undertaken that might have allowed a more positive statement at this point needed to remain unspoken and it hurt more than he wanted to admit to see the naked disappointment in the teen's eyes.

Crestfallen, the Weiss archer looked at the floor for a moment and sighed deeply, but then he regained the light, happy look he'd had on his face when the newcomers arrived and Omi asked confidently, "But with you, Korat, and Javanese here, it's going to be better, isn't it?" With a pout he added, "At least we won't have to worry about him suffocating in the night now, right?"

The doctor deliberately chuckled softly, recalling that the deep rumbling sound usually helped the occasionally high-strung boy to calm down and then he answered, "No, that certainly won't be a problem any longer, Omi." He noticed Korat trying to get his attention with a nod of his head directed at the withdrawn midnight blue-eyed boy and he added, "But I'd very much like a chance to meet your companion now, Omi. I understand his name is 'Nagi' and that you are rather fond of him, yes?" 

Given a topic that he simply loved to focus on to the exclusion of most others, the seventeen year old nodded enthusiastically then took the much older man by the hand and drew him to his boyfriend's side with a bright smile. Ignoring the conventions pertaining to formal introductions, he said to the boy on the bed, "Nagi-love? This is Norwegian, the doctor I told you about so many times?" His inquiring tone at the end of the statement indicated he hoped that Nagi might recall the fact that he had previously spoken of the kindly physician with nothing but love, trust, and affection. 

There were times in the bleak and somewhat uncertain history of Omi's life when the Kritiker doctor had helped him stay healthy in mind as well as body. The first time the young blond had been forced to kill had been in self-defense after a pre-Weiss training mission had gone awry, yet the man he only knew as "Norwegian" had been there to help him through the guilty nightmares and horrifying daytime flashbacks as well. Omi couldn't recall a time in his life that the deeply caring and kindhearted doctor hadn't been there for him, and for that he would be eternally grateful.

As realization hit him that his boyfriend had been speaking while he reminisced briefly, Omi refocused on the conversation and found himself feeling well behind the curve as Norwegian asked him, "And how did you two meet?" The physician looked a bit confused as he realized they were both staring at him as if he was insane since they had been rivals on the urban battlefield far longer than they cared to admit. Then he quickly added, "I mean somewhere other than as two assassins following orders from someone else?"

The bright smile returned as Omi answered for them both, "The first time we ran into each other when we weren't 'working' was at a coffee shop we both love." His expression softened as he explained, "It was a national holiday, so both of our schools were closed and we happened to go to the same place. It was really crowded and the hostess, my friend Mamba-chan, asked me if she could seat a customer at the opposite side of my table since I was alone."

Cerulean eyes darted towards deep blue ones that had gone soft with memory, and then he continued the tale of their first moments together away from their dark secret lifestyles by adding, "At first, I didn't recognize Nagi as the cute Schwarz boy I'd seen only a few times since he wasn't wearing the school uniform which he wears when working for them. So, I gladly asked him to join me and Mamba-chan really appreciated it. He apparently didn't recognize me for similar reasons--I was in regular street clothes that didn't include my tri-tail hat or those silly shorts, of course!--and sat across from me and patiently tolerated my attempts to make conversation. He didn't talk much, but we seemed to hit it off right away just the same, yet it kept bugging me that I ought to know him, he seemed so familiar."

Across the room, Yohji stifled the chuckle that tried to escape, the very idea of someone as intelligent and observant as Omi making such an obvious mistake seemed amusing. But the jade-eyed man had come to a private conclusion that most likely what had truly occurred was that their hearts spoke to one another and overrode their minds' abilities to keep them apart through cold logic. As it was, he kept quiet and listened to the familiar story while keeping a surreptitious watch on his exhausted lover who simply stood listening as well.

Norwegian seemed to be enjoying the tale and he verbally nudged the storyteller to continue by asking, "So? What did it take for you two to suddenly realize you'd met before under different circumstances?" He was truly curious about a great deal more, but he'd wait until he had Omi alone for a private conversation well after the current emergency situation had been resolved for that. After all, the young couple had already consummated their relationship, it was mostly a matter of future concerns now anyway.

Omi smiled sweetly and admitted, "It was sometime after our second cups of coffee were brought to the table and I got one of the chess boards they have there and set it up, hoping to convince the cute but shy boy sitting across from me to play. I asked him which pieces he wanted and instead of saying 'black' he said 'Schwarz' and it all clicked." 

Light blue eyes glimmered with delight as he saw the small smile blossoming on his partner's face as he continued, "So, I answered that I'd be 'Weiss' and that was pretty much it, actually." [1] He shrugged a little, then further explained, "There were no loud exclamations of shock or denial of who we were or what had happened between us in the past. At that point we were just two high school kids playing chess, drinking coffee, and wondering if we'd ever get to see what else we had in common besides being assassins. We got around to having *that* discussion the next day when we met at a park where we wouldn't have anyone listening in on us. We decided to keep the fact that we'd met like that a secret and, well, things just kind of happened from there." 

As he finished the story, Omi looked at Nagi adoringly and it was all anyone in the room could do to keep from exclaiming how sweet the two of them were despite being hardened killers.

The doctor was quite surprised by the simplicity of their meeting, a classic chance encounter destined to change both of their lives. Breaking his silence as he realized that the Weiss archer was peering at him with an expression that begged for his approval, Norwegian smiled warmly and remarked, "That sounds like a very pleasant way to make someone's acquaintance, Omi. But tell me, who won?"

"'Won' what, Norwegian?" Omi asked, slightly confused expression on his otherwise open and relaxed face, the simple recollection of good times from not so long ago had given the previously distraught teen an opportunity to feel happy again.

"Why, the chess game, of course," the gray-eyed man explained as if it was too obvious.

Simultaneously despite the lack of rehearsal since each truly thought he was recalling the event correctly, both teens pointed at the other and they stated in unison, "He did!" 

The doctor's belly practically shook like some fabled Father Christmas as he laughed out loud and he actually clapped his hands once in delight and exclaimed, "Kawaii! You two are simply kawaii!" 

Korat had looked on in interest even as he entered notes on a patient record sheet obtained from the hospital that he'd been using to collect information to share with the physician. The ebony-skinned man's reserved smile seemed to twitch a bit as he barely kept from agreeing with the elder Kritiker medic more strongly than he wished to. After all of Yohji's earlier words of praise and endorsement of the diminutive telekinetic, to hear and see the close relationship Nagi shared with Omi so innocently displayed provided the final evidence of the sincerity of their feelings. He felt he could easily accept the sable-haired youth into his care without further reservations regardless of which side of the next battle between Schwarz and Weiss he would be forced to fight upon if nothing changed.

Across the room, standing inside the door still not quite certain where he should be at this point, Aya had a tenderly amused expression on his face, another atypical show of emotion made possible by extreme exhaustion. He'd heard the story of how the two teens had supposedly met in a café only a single time previously and hadn't been as convinced of the true innocence of their encounter until recently. However, to have the chance to hear it recounted in such a sweet and open fashion failed to eliminate any barriers the katana-wielding assassin had against Nagi since there were none remaining.

The now familiar yet still not understood undercurrent of deep emotion ran through him as the violet-eyed man recalled his initial concern at seeing how thin the boy's torso was and he tried to remember to talk to Norwegian about it later. With a barely suppressed yawn, Aya glanced at his lover and noticed that Yohji wasn't smiling, and it caused him concern. He began to turn towards him to inquire even if it was only with a silent glance or a brief touch of the hand as to the lanky man's ill-ease, but Omi beat him to it.

"Yohji-kun?" A gentle alto voice called from where the younger blond had moved to sit next to his once more quiet and reserved boyfriend. "Is something wrong?"

Making a show of brushing his hair out of his eyes to help give him a moment to compose himself, the eldest member of Weiss admitted in an emotion-roughened tone, "That's what Ken always said about you two, Omiitchi. Whenever he talked about you and Nagi it was 'kawaii' this and 'kawaii' that." He successfully kept the catch out of his voice as he added mournfully, "I just wish he was here right now to say it, too. I'm sorry, Norwegian, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Omi looked sorry for having brought a sad expression to his friend's face, yet since Yohji had turned the conversation over to the Kritiker doctor, he remained where he was seated, letting Nagi rest wearily against him and hoped for the best.

To everyone's surprise, the portly physician merely nodded and then smiled encouragingly, saying, "Don't give up hope, Balinese. Like I said before, I won't make promises I might not be able to keep later, but try to have faith, son. Things should improve soon."

"I hope so," Yohji agreed with a deep sigh, and then lifted curious jade eyes to note that ones the color of an amaryllis were focused on him in an almost disquieting fashion. He quirked an eyebrow in question and he was further shocked by receiving an almost imperceptible nod of encouragement from the one person he least expected to get it from at that point. 

A sense of hope was finding a home in Aya's heart as well when he saw his partner deliberately make an effort to find an admittedly false demi-smile to indicate he'd try to have more faith. It might have seemed like a small show of support between lovers to anyone who didn't understand the situation fully, but to each of them as well as a man with wizened gray eyes, it was a near breakthrough event, well worth celebrating.

In the moment of quiet, Nagi surprisingly added his own support in a tired and breathless voice, "Ganbatte, Yohji-kun?"

The warm smile that replaced the previous half-hearted one was totally sincere as the wire-wielding assassin gave the exhausted telekinetic a thumbs-up sign and answered more confidently, "Ganbatte, bishounen, for sure." He glanced at the doctor then suggested casually, "It would seem this might be a good time to share some more of that 'good news' you brought with our two little 'kawaii' boys, Norwegian." The desire to ask Korat what he had discovered in his examination of the Schwarz psychic was overcome easily by a desire to try to get them all back to the more positive topics they could share and get his mind off the sadness down the hallway. 

"An excellent idea," the rotund physician agreed and moved to sit in a chair near the teens so that Nagi could remain comfortably ensconced beside Omi and the older one of the two could simply stay focused on what he felt should be great reassurance. 

Norwegian spent several minutes explaining that Korat and Javanese, someone else that Omi was delighted to hear was present, were going to take up temporary residence in Tokyo General and that he himself would be there as much as possible, too. The decision Manx had coerced from Persia following the horrible error he unwittingly made by sending Calico there the night before meant that, as Yohji had put it, the best and the brightest of Kritiker Medical Center were assembled for their benefit as long as they were needed. 

Once questions about the first topics were asked and answers offered, they turned the discussion ever so briefly to the deactivation of Weiss and the doctor said that it would now be his decision as much as anyone else's as to when the team could resume even limited field work. This, too, was welcome news since they knew he would never allow any members of their team to be placed in jeopardy prematurely, a wonderful thing that allowed their trust in him to be so total and unquestioning.

Overall, the discussion had the effect Yohji had hoped for when he suggested it, and the expressions on the faces of the gathered assassins became as close to sincerely hopeful as they had been in a very long time. There was to be even more good news, however, but it would arrive in the dark of night at an hour when they least expected it.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] As I racked my brain with the dozens of possible variations on the theme of assassin-meets-assassin-as-a-prelude-to-love, it occurred to me I had never once seen a story portray it as a relative non-event, so I wanted to try that approach here. Granted, it comes off as almost too quiet and too understated for someone as passionate as Omi is being written here, but I'm satisfied with the results and hope that you are as well.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 30 & 31 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to all the wonderful new readers who have taken advantage of the delay in posting runs to either read "Cold November Rain" for the first time or to go back to it now that they had the time and the interest in a bit of angst! If there's a silver lining to the extended hiatus' exceptionally dark cloud, it may be the fact that I can now publicly acknowledge some new friends whom I hope to continue to entertain for quite some time!

{gets out the Horn of Friendship and blows a happy tune then proceeds with dedications rather quickly due to sleepiness creeping up on the llama}

In no particular order, may I say "hello and thank you" to the following way cool people who either left me their first feedback at fanfiction.net and/or wrote me directly to say they like this and want more? The lovely Cat sent me oodles of nice words and I hope to write to her when there's time again. {sweatdrops, hides from Cat's Wufei-chibi who might bop him for being slow to write back and scurries off to acknowledge other new friends} Next are Chisa Yume, TrenchcoatMan, diffdeg, baybeejag (Cody?), mukuro, and several other lovely folks whose names escape me at this early hour!

{tosses Pocky bouquets into Cyberspace gleefully, glad to have new friends who support his efforts since, after all, kind words are the *only* form of payment fanfic writers receive for their hours and hours of dedication and effort to entertain and amuse}

Thanks go out to many other people as well for a variety of things that have happened since this fic went on hiatus but I think I'll save some of those lists for another night, they deserve their own dedications for the incredible kindness shown to me lately! After all, to simply say, "Gee, thanks all you guys who told me not to let the flamers both here and at the new Bebop fic get me down, it really helped!" and leave it at that is insufficient! No sirree, they're going to find themselves publicly thanked and glorified whether they wanted it or not! And that's *nothing* compared to the thank yous planned for all those who continued to support and defend my mind from the slings and arrows of temporary ficlessness! But for now, though, I think this is all the dedication listing I can handle and it's time to post the story and then go fall into bed!

{looks tired but happy, glad to have more story out and rather excited about a major shift in the fic that is set into motion very, very quietly in Part 30 which won't reach fruition until Part 40 yet it's such lovely angst-to-be that Melpomene's licking her lips eagerly}

Take care, one and all! If you enjoyed finding out the details about Omi and Nagi's first meeting in this particular continuity or even if you thought it was cool to watch Aya continued to crash and burn right before accidentally picking up that "seed of hope" he so desperately needed, let me know about that, too! Angst of a milder flavor is still angst and despite ending this on a hopeful note, we all know that Kenken's still lost in unconsciousness so the angst-muse-from-Hell ain't done here yet folks, not by a long shot! 

Adios!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is kind of shocked that this is the only major story he's written since the end of 2001! yeah, shocking as it sounds, there's been *no* GW stories at all this entire time! weird, ne?)

Posted 04 March 2002, ~3:00am.


	32. Comfort Food and Much Needed Rest

Greetings and welcome for the second night in a row to the Angst Theatre's debut performance of "Cold November Rain"!

A very special thanks to all those of you who have welcomed the return of the fic so many were apparently eagerly awaiting! I'm thrilled beyond words to mention that there's already kind words about it posted here at fanfiction.net and I even got a few notes in my inbox to enjoy later! 

{puts on his tux, hands you a playbill with an expectant smile, then hits the switch for the hundreds of tiny light bulbs on the marquee which reads "Cold November Rain" then gives the intro to the show!}

Our performance this evening opens with Part 32 wherein a surprising contribution from an unexpected source brings comfort and leads to a quiet period of restfulness for the members of Weiss as well as Nagi. The second half of our show, Part 33, begins roughly nine hours later and features a key turning point for our tale. 

{continues to smile hopefully, then adds with a slight chuckle of delight} 

By the way, my youngest chibi Lauren basically demanded that I add a Kleenex warning for certain events in Part 33. She sat and enjoyed a respite from her AG Language Arts paper comparing the leading men of Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by reading while I edited this evening. Granted, she adores the men of Weiss far more than Tom or "Sir Boss," so the scene in question had quite an impact on her and she thought it might have the same effect on you, too.

{smiles fondly thinking of daughter sitting and reading nearby and *literally* asking for the screen not to be changed while she went to get a handful of Puffs Plus, she was too captivated by the mental images that had been created to miss anything but too teary-eyed to sit there without a tissue. then the llama frowns in extreme distress and mentions an unhappy twist of fate that has occurred}

Oh, one new and rather shocking event has rocked the residents of the Casa de Llama that could possibly influence this fic getting put out on time--it's freezing in here. Literally. Well, almost literally! Let me explain, you see, on a day when the overnight low was predicted to be 17F (it's 20F out there right now and still falling fast!), one of my two heat pumps failed at roughly 3pm and won't start again. 

{shivers with cold} 

Luckily the builder of my two-story home put in separate systems upstairs and down and it was the downstairs one that died which is good news for all of us for two reasons. First, this means the chibis and I can sleep without contracting some dread disease since the bedrooms are upstairs where the thermostat is set at a toasty 70F in an effort to sorta, kinda compensate for downstairs. Also, the computer is in my office which is in an addition over my garage. In an ironic twist sufficiently unexpected that Melpomene could've been responsible for it, currently a room that is usually the coldest one in the house during winter seems pleasantly tropical. So there's less of a chance of my being forced to not edit/write due to frozen typing fingers but it's anyone's guess when I'll be able to get a repair guy on the job and we can all merely *pray* that I survive the shock if it turns out the damage is only reparable by the purchase of a whole new system! OUCH! 

{blinks in anticipated "sticker shock" since he hasn't got a clue what a new heat pump would cost to have it installed, then shrugs, with kids in the house going without one is certainly not an option so he might as well smile and open the theatre, ne?}

Enjoy the hopefully moving drama of the story while I try not to freeze to death! 

~~~Enigma~~~

(who happily thanks Yanagi-sen *twice* for sharing her delight at the return of the fic both privately in the way only she can {kisses Y's cheek gratefully, then blushes at his own forwardness} as well as with a cheerful greeting at ff.net! sugoi for having such wonderful friends!!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 32/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 2. time: 1430-1515 hours ++

*****

As the conversation turned towards other less certain and far less encouraging topics such as the lack of modification in Ken's prognosis, there had been an unfounded hope that Norwegian's team's arrival alone might have changed matters more than what was reasonable, Sokoke returned from her own mission.

Carrying numerous trays carefully stacked with previously undisplayed and totally unexpected skill, the woman tapped the open door to Room 121 with the toe of one shoe and asked politely, "Norwegian? May I come in?"

The two boys looked at her and when Nagi gave him an inquiring glance, Omi shrugged gently and whispered to his boyfriend, "I haven't met her before, love, but she must be with the rest of them."

Too tired to be understandably concerned about the newcomer the way he had been about Korat as well as Norwegian to a lesser extent, Nagi merely sighed in response, "It's okay, koi, I'm sure it's just someone else trying to help. I'm almost getting used to new Kritiker people showing up unexpectedly." He yawned tiredly and added in a quiet voice, "I wonder who will show up next? That man 'Persia' you've mentioned?"

Recalling Manx's words that indicated the leader of Kritiker wanted to have a "chat" with him about Nagi made the blond youth blush slightly and he muttered softly, "Oh god, I hope not! I don't have the energy to deal with that right now." He felt Nagi's head nod slightly against him and then their attention was drawn to the woman who was working with Korat to find enough flat surfaces for the trays she'd brought.

Standing to one side and nodding with an expression of delight on his face, Norwegian remarked, "You've done a wonderful job of getting everything I asked for and more, Sokoke! Nice work!"

The honey-blond secretary beamed, pleased she'd been able to do something another person might not have taken seriously well enough to have earned more of the portly physician's praise. Smiling as she uncovered several heavily loaded dishes of food, she remarked, "Thank you, sir. I wasn't satisfied with some of the things the cafeteria had to offer me, so I took a little extra time and fixed a couple of these myself. I hope that's okay."

Curious about not only the food but also the newcomer, Yohji donned one of his classically charming smiles and asked, "Are you perhaps the administrative assistant that Korat mentioned earlier?" When Sokoke turned towards him and nodded with a shy smile, he further reinforced his reputation as a playboy by adding with a tired wink, "And what a lovely young lady at that! But tell me, since when does Kritiker make it a point to hire secretaries who do short order cooking as well? The food all looks delicious!"

A slight flush crawled up her cheeks and Sokoke answered, "My aunt and her three sons lived with my family and being the only girl in a house with five teenaged boys, I learned to make a few things in a hurry. I hope everyone will enjoy it." She glanced at the pair of teenagers sitting together on the bed and introduced herself, "Bombay? Nagi? Hello, I'm Sokoke, in case no one mentioned I was here. I work for Persia but was sent to help Balinese with a report." 

Omi smiled at her and felt glad she'd included his boyfriend in the greeting and answered for them both, "It's nice to meet you, Sokoke. I had no idea you were here, but does Yoh--" he cut himself off and forced a return to code-names, "um, Balinese *really* need to do a report today? I think he's too tired and should sleep."

Before she could respond, Norwegian interjected, "Excellent point, my boy." He smiled warmly at both the cerulean-eyed teen and the young secretary who was glad to do whatever was best, "I believe that after we see to it that you four have a nice lunch, I will recommend you all get some more rest. Korat, Javanese, and I can meet with Manx and Dr. Egami for a bit to discuss what our next steps should be while you sleep. Sokoke dear, you might find that a tad boring, though, so why not plan on helping Balinese with that document tomorrow? You can tell Persia it was my decision to put it off if he's annoyed about the delay, of course."

The young woman continued to smile as she set out a few eating utensils and agreed, "That's fine, Norwegian. I'm sure after I tell him how things are going here, Persia will understand. But please, won't everyone eat before the food gets cold? The fresh miso soup with scallions I made won't taste half as good when it's lukewarm as it does hot." 

"Homemade miso soup with green onions?" An exhausted yet hopeful voice repeated and everyone glanced at Nagi who had an almost wistful expression on his wan, exhausted face. The tiny smile on his lips was an unspoken request for some even as he added in a soft voice filled with an odd longing, "I haven't had that in *so* long!" 

Bright smile in place, Sokoke quickly put together a bowl of the piping hot soup, garnished it with not only the promised aromatic vegetable but a few other touches and carried it to him where he remained in bed, saying, "I hope you'll like it, Nagi-san. My brothers and cousins always liked it made fresh instead of from instant, too." Placing it carefully on a rolling table that Omi pulled over to share with his boyfriend she asked, "Would you like some rice to go with it? I'm sorry there wasn't time to make tempura and soba, too, but there're some other things to choose from. Bombay? Would you like to select some things for you both while I find out what Abyssinian and Balinese would like?" 

Even as she spoke, the honey-blond returned to her impromptu banquet and was handing plates to a startled scarlet-haired man and an openly amused jade-eyed one. Yohji was delighted to watch Aya being basically told to eat by the woman who seemed to enjoy being of service and not being given a chance to refuse.

The secretary-cum-chef was blissfully unaware that she had brought more than nutrition to the room, she'd brought even more of the hope the group needed so badly. Norwegian's original request for food and drink had focused on protein-rich foods as well as ones containing various natural sleep-inducing compounds like tryptophan. However, Sokoke had gone above and beyond his initial intent and had brought them a mostly home-cooked meal that assured them all of not only a good rest, but the things their exhausted bodies would need to begin rebuilding their depleted energy reservoirs.

Omi's smile was filled with gratitude as he saw Nagi take a tentative sip of soup only to have a content smile of his own spread gently across his face. Turning to follow the woman across the room as she plied the two eldest members of Weiss with an assortment of delicacies, he said quietly, "Sokoke? Thank you for going to so much trouble for us." When she glanced at him quizzically, he added, "None of us have eaten well since all this began, but I'm sure we'll all feel better after such a nice meal."

Her smile was brilliant as she answered humbly, "It's nothing, Bombay. I just wanted to help."

"Nonsense, my dear," Norwegian spoke up after watching Yohji drop an extra few pieces of meat onto Aya's plate in one of what he was beginning to realize were conciliatory gestures between the two distanced lovers. A gesture that was returned when the violet-eyed man meaningfully handed the jade-eyed one a cup of steaming miso soup. The doctor refocused on the secretary and shook his head in gentle wonder and remarked, "I had no idea you were so talented, Sokoke. Indeed, you have provided far more than even I envisioned."

"You're too kind," she said modestly, ducking her head and seeing an approving look on the ebony-skinned nurse's face, too. After flashing a look of appreciation to Korat for his support, she commented, "I can bring something a lot better than this tomorrow when I return to help Balinese with the report if you like. The food in the cafeteria here wasn't too bad, but it's not as good as homemade."

Yohji looked up from where he was savoring a small Kobe-style fishball that tasted better than anything he'd had since childhood and asked, "Won't that be a lot of trouble, Sokoke? I mean, this is," he gestured at his plate trying to find the words he wanted then shrugged, "this is *great*, but isn't it outside your area of responsibilities for Kritiker?"

The delighted young woman laughed and shook her head, "Do you mean to say that I shouldn't bring you food tomorrow since it's not in my job description, Balinese?" He gave a helpless shrug and she laughed again before carrying a hot cup of tea to Norwegian who looked surprised to be waited upon that way as she answered, "I think it's the least I can do. I like to cook, you need to eat, and if it helps, why not?"

"Why not indeed," the physician agreed as he sipped his tea and reflected on his amazing fourth team member and wondered what other surprises the woman held in store for him. As he watched her busily see to it that each of the four assassins in the room ate enough to satisfy her sisterly concern, he contemplated his good fortune to have her present after all. He had noticed the way the members of Weiss had unexpectedly taken to the girl and he was grateful all over again that Manx had called for help earlier that day.

As the impromptu feast came to a close, Omi carefully carried his and Nagi's empty dishes back to her and he said, "That was really good, Sokoke!" He glanced at where his boyfriend was curled up, drowsing in the hospital bed and he added softly, "I don't think I've ever seen Nagi eat so much. Thank you."

Unexpectedly, she frowned and shook her head, "But, Bombay, he only ate a little compared to you and the others. Doesn't he eat more than that usually?"

"No," the blond admitted regretfully. "We aren't together for meals all that often, but I've never seen him eat much at any one time."

An even unhappier frown painted itself across the woman's face but then lightened as she asked, "Well, if he likes my cooking, why don't I make sure to bring something special for him tomorrow. Do you know what else he likes?"

Omi thought about it for a moment then answered, "He seems to like traditional Japanese food a lot more than the cosmopolitan stuff that I like, but he never complains when we get it." Cerulean eyes cast a glance at the lightly slumbering youth and he added with a sad sigh, "I guess whatever you used to make for your brothers and cousins would be good. He didn't really have a regular family growing up, so I guess it makes sense he'd like 'family-style' foods. Does that help?"

"Absolutely. It sounds like he might enjoy some simple, old-fashioned comfort foods, so I'll make more of those," Sokoke assured with a smaller and more restrained smile before she added, "If you think of anything, just tell Norwegian, he'll make sure I know about it, okay?"

"Okay," the Weiss archer agreed then yawned and said, "Thanks again for everything, Sokoke. See you tomorrow."

"You're welcome, Bombay," she continued to smile in a slightly sad fashion as the young blond went over to sit next to his slumbering companion, quietly whispering words of encouragement to Nagi as the telekinetic drifted off to sleep despite the others in the room. The secretary was barely aware of Yohji and Aya returning their dishes and expressing their appreciation for the meal, her thoughts were with the obviously exhausted and frail looking Schwarz psychic. 

The sable-haired youth made Sokoke think of her own family and of the days after her uncle died in a subway accident and how her youngest cousin, a boy who was almost as thin as Nagi, had been unable to eat well and had gotten quite sick because of it. She recalled some of the meals she and her mother put together while her aunt mourned the loss of her husband and began selecting items from those days to include in the next days' meals since she was already planning on doing this for at least a week if necessary. Observing Omi brushing his fingers through loose dark chocolate hair brought her none of the same sense of relief it brought the others in the room, she only saw the sadness in the scene and wished she could help change it.

Sighing sadly, the secretary began to collect up the dishes she'd brought, intending to return them to the cafeteria before going back to headquarters to speak with Persia about what she'd seen at Tokyo General. 

Unexpectedly, a melodious masculine voice asked, "What is the matter, Sokoke? You seem somber."

She glanced up at the slender black nurse's concerned face and realized that Norwegian, Abyssinian, and Balinese had stepped into the hallway where they were talking quietly and only she, Korat, and the two boys were still in the room. With a sad shake of her head, she remarked, "I thought that the boy from Schwarz would be scary and dangerous, but instead, he's like my youngest cousin, rather small and weak. Is there something wrong with him, Korat? I didn't recall hearing anything in our briefing this morning to indicate he'd been injured or anything, yet he seems to be hurting."

"You are very perceptive," Korat stated as he nodded gently, then told her only as much as he knew was true. "I'm afraid that Nagi, like all of them, is very tired and in need of a great deal of rest. He was, sadly, injured to some unknown extent earlier today, but it's too soon to say exactly what we can or can't do for him at this point."

The honey-blond woman frowned, displeased that there weren't more answers available for the boy she, too, was coming to care for despite her anticipated dislike of the diminutive telekinetic. With a final negative shake of her head that went unexplained, she gathered the dishes onto a tray and said, "I'll be going now, Korat. Is there anything you'd like me to make for you for tomorrow?"

"For me?" The ebony-skinned man asked in surprise, long inky lashes blinking over deep mocha eyes. "Why would you need to be bothered to prepare anything for *me*? I'm not one of the people we've been sent to help."

"So what?" Sokoke answered pragmatically, "Why shouldn't you eat well, too? I understand you and Javanese both are giving up spending time at home for who knows how long to stay here and help even though I get to go home tonight. I think that makes it okay to offer to make something *you* like, too. I thought I'd ask Javanese about it, too, so please? Give me a suggestion?"

The nurse's light melodious chuckle brought a smile to her face and he acceded, "All right, since you insist. Might I request some roasted fish? I have quite a fondness for it this time of year." 

Her expression brightened and she glanced at Omi and Nagi before saying, "That's a great idea, Korat! I think that might help a lot. Thank you!" Gathering the tray in both hands, she gave him a small bow and left the room, slipping past the small gathering in the hallway and offering her farewells as she went.

Yohji called words of thanks to her as she passed by and Aya's mute nod added his own. 

Norwegian told Sokoke he wanted to have a word with her and could she please meet him in the intensive care unit before she left and she agreed to rendezvous there as soon as she got back from the kitchen. The kindly doctor smiled at her as she vanished to pursue her own plans to support the various Kritiker personnel involved, then turned to say something complimentary about her to the two men standing exhaustedly nearby. Realizing there would be time for pleasantries later, he chose instead to tell the pair that there was a room assigned for their use next to the one occupied by the teens since Norwegian didn't want their group to be separated any farther than necessary.

Yohji tried to argue that he needed to get a chance to check on Ken one more time, but the fact that he could barely stand unaided overrode that intention and after thanking Norwegian one last time, he and Aya both went to check on Omi and Nagi before resting. The portly physician understood completely and was more than glad to make his way back to the intensive care unit with Korat by his side, leaving the four assassins alone once again.

Within Room 121, Nagi was fast asleep in the bed he'd not even set foot out of since being placed there by Aya following his morning collapse and Omi was once more dozing in the chair beside him. Making a soft clucking noise of disapproval in the back of his throat, the elder blond once more urged the younger one to go ahead and rest beside his boyfriend, they'd both sleep better that way. 

Unable to find the energy to even blush at the possibly suggestive remark, the Weiss archer nodded exhaustedly and let the slender man help him into bed beside his partner. Omi was practically asleep before his head hit the pillow and Nagi predictably cuddled close without waking, each sighing peacefully as he felt his beloved in his arms once more. 

Feeling warm and comforted himself, Yohji reached for a blanket for the two boys, but a pale hand already had it as Aya tucked them in with a small smile of relief of his own. Neither man had yet to hear what Korat had or had not discovered in his earlier examination of the telekinetic, but disturbing, uncertain news such as that could wait for now.

Satisfied that their young companions were safe, the elder couple left the room and stepped into their own. The set-up of Room 119 was identical to that of 121, a pair of white-sheeted beds stood at opposite sides of the room, sterile and unwelcoming. 

With a frown, Yohji realized that unlike "the kids," he and Aya were certainly not the types to ignore public scrutiny entirely and cuddle in a hospital bed together even though it would probably have done them both a world of good and he knew it. With a sad sigh hidden by a yawn, he simply kicked off his shoes, dropped his sunglasses on a table, crawled under a blanket and mumbled a traditional wish for pleasant dreams to his scarlet-haired partner before slipping into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Across the room, Aya repeated his own version of the act, yet when he laid down, he found himself awake a moment longer and felt grateful for the small gift of time to observe the scene before him.

By chance, Yohji was laying on his side, facing the younger man with the open and vulnerable expression of one who had gone too long without slumber and had carried too many emotional burdens for a soul so young. A confusing feeling of tightness formed in Aya's chest as he watched his lover's lips part slightly in sleep, granting the blond a softer look, an expression that was dangerously close to what the violet-eyed man's tired mind labeled "endearing." Realizing his exhaustion-blurred thoughts weren't obeying his logic-oriented mind's current concern over how to conduct his relationship with Yohji, the Weiss swordsman simply disregarded the thought and allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep of his own. 

The room was silent as time crept leisurely by and the two beleaguered men had only dreams of hope and happiness which reassured them both and gave them unconscious optimism in the future for all those that they cared for.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 32 & 33 will be posted together. 


	33. Joy After Midnight

Title: Cold November Rain [part 33/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 0005-0025 hours ++

*****

When Yohji awoke once more, the window in Room 119 held the light-polluted view of a surprisingly rain-free night in the bustling city of Tokyo. However, the wire-wielding Weiss assassin was in no condition to appreciate the change in the weather.

Yawning and stretching as his exhausted mind tried to bring into focus the sterile white walls that surrounded him and the unfamiliar feeling of cool sheets around him that were unwarmed by the presence of either of his two lovers, the lanky blond tried to understand what had happened. But before he could get very far, his mind all-too-helpfully provided him with graphic and gruesome details of the recent past and he sat up too fast, exclaiming loudly, "KEN!!!"

"What the…?" Aya mumbled, being torn from slumber by a familiar voice calling a much loved name and he rubbed sleep-encrusted violet eyes with the back of a hand as he, too, sat up in a cold, unfamiliar hospital bed and called out, "Yohji?! What's going on?" In his moment of sleepy confusion, the Weiss swordsman allowed an atypical weakness to enter his voice as he added softly in confusion of his own, "Where's Ken?"

Shaking the sleep from his eyes further, the lanky blond unfolded himself enough to turn to face the younger assassin and admit with a sad sigh, "He's hurt, remember, Aya?"

Passing a shaking hand through sleep-mussed scarlet waves, his partner tried to pull it together and admitted, "Oh, right." He looked horrified and chagrinned as well as he added inquiringly, "That was yesterday wasn't it?" 

Glancing at the watch that concealed his deadly weapon, the blond man shook his head and answered, "No, technically it was the day before yesterday, Aya. It's five after twelve already."

"12:05am?!" The violet-eyed man suddenly growled angrily and glared at his jade-eyed lover before very nearly accusing, "Who the hell let us *sleep* for almost nine hours straight?!" He immediately began to emerge from the multiple blankets he had been covered with despite recalling placing only one over himself prior to taking a moment to gaze at his lover before sleep took him while it was still raining.

Making an equal effort to get out of the bed that was far more comfortable than it looked, Yohji, too, noticed the extra covers as well as a note propped beneath a softly-lit table lamp near his bed. He reached for the paper and said, "Someone left us a message, Aya. Let me see what it says before we get all pissed off about it, okay?"

The scarlet-haired man merely growled a soft agreement and stood with arms crossed over his chest angrily, uncertain whom to blame for this foolishness, yet giving the elder of his two lovers sufficient respect to stay put and listen. 

After clearing his voice of that annoying "morning thickness" that afflicted him as well as many other men, Yohji intoned:

"'Abyssinian and Balinese;

"'You have been left to rest for as long as you needed to do so by orders of Norwegian. The same applies to Bombay and Nagi who are still resting comfortably as of this writing.'"

The blond man paused and glanced at the heading of the paper which indicated it had been written around 11:30pm and he mentioned that, then continued:

"'You are both more than welcome to visit Siberian in the ICU after you awaken as are Bombay and his companion. Now that Kritiker has established a base of operations here, you will not be denied access to your teammate regardless of time either day or night as long as his condition or your own does not counter-indicate it as being wise. He will recover more quickly knowing that those who care about him are present and I hope that you will accept this invitation shortly after awakening.

"'If I myself am not there to greet you, Javanese will be, and I sincerely hope that the rest has done you both well.'"

Yohji stopped and wracked his brain briefly over the unusual kanji that comprised the signature, then pronounced:

"'Korat'"

Looking up at the elder of his two lovers, the jade-eyed man shrugged and offered, "It would appear we are being told to go check on Ken as soon as we wake up, Aya. Want to?" Yohji correctly assumed he knew the answer to the question, of course, but continued to worry over the deterioration in his relationship with the violet-eyed man so he wanted to try to leave it in his hands.

"Absolutely!" Abyssinian's mission-voice answered, and the undisputed team-leader of Weiss led the way as the pair swung into the hallway, silently treading towards the intensive care unit and away from two sleeping, blue-eyed teens.

Nonplussed, Balinese followed his commander and they made good time en route to the intensive care unit. The pair had no real idea what to expect upon their arrival, but the scene they came upon wouldn't have been one that they might have envisioned.

Standing by the desk where the intensive care unit's staff monitored their patients as well as communicated with the rest of the sprawling medical complex, a very tired looking ebony-skinned man was quietly debriefing a more rested looking ivory-skinned woman. The image seemed to be a study in contrasts, yet it held far more information than merely that as a sloe-eyed Asian woman joined them with a small smile.

Even as the tired-yet-willing Yamanaka began to update her new colleagues, Abyssinian strode towards the three nurses and demanded curtly, "What is Siberian's status?" 

The two Kritiker nurses looked up and practically saluted the man, it was so clear where the lines that separated them from the general public ran in a situation like this. It was the petite oriental woman, however, who took control. With a smile as warm as the sun despite her growing tiredness after an unexpected shift, Yamanaka offered, "He's doing well, Fujimiya-san." Turning her soft smile so that it could include Yohji, she added, "I'm sure he's going to return to consciousness soon, Kudou-san. Would you both like to come with me and see Ken-san?"

It was all Yohji could do to keep from shouting, "Hell yes!!" as he allowed Aya to remain in command of the situation as the scarlet-haired man growled a quiet, "Affirmative!"

"Then follow me, please!" The nurse urged unnecessarily, thinking in the back of her mind that virtually no one could've stopped these two intense young men from seeing the one that they so obviously loved and feeling glad that no one would try.

Even though Aya immediately stalked after the nurse, Yohji took his time and noted Korat and Javanese quietly talking together, undoubtedly making observations on the two of them to feed back to Norwegian at some point. The lanky blond felt deeply grateful that the other Kritiker agents had been sent to Tokyo General to help them all and he spared them a small smile of thanks before trailing after his partner. 

Not giving a damn about anyone other than the person who could grant him access to his fallen lover's side, Aya followed Yamanaka wordlessly. He was unaware of the eyes upon both he and Yohji, all he cared about in that moment was Ken. With a relieved expression, Aya saw that Ken's color had improved, the nineteen year old's earlier pallor had been replaced by slightly warmer skin-tones and he asked, "Has he received another blood transfusion?"

"No, he hasn't." The Tokyo General staff nurse smiled reassuringly before adding, "The improvement you see is all thanks to his own body's ability to cope with the stress of both being shot *and* the surgery that followed! I must say, Ken-san is a *most* amazing man to have begun to recover so well all at once like this!" 

Her radiant smile then faltered as she added, "But he hasn't awoken for us yet. Not even once! So, *please* speak to him? Urge him to return! We can help him so much more once he regains consciousness, all right?"

With a serious expression on his face and a curt nod of his head, Aya accepted the challenge. As he and Yohji moved past the woman to approach the injured man, the violet-eyed swordsman took up a position beside Ken where he could stroke his hand even as his more talkative lover moved to speak to their silent partner. 

Noticing the change in Ken's complexion as well, Yohji smiled fondly and brushed loose coffee-colored hair across the unconscious man's forehead before leaning down to greet his lover with as much positive energy as he could find, saying, "Hey there, Kenken! Aya and me are back, baby. Sorry to be gone a little longer than we'd been lately, but Norwegian showed up and ordered us to get some sleep and you know how old Nor-sama can get. If he says 'sleep' you really don't get many options, ya know?" 

The soft smile that crossed the slender assassin's face was more a reflection of the fond regard they all had for the Kritiker physician than anything else, but he then continued, updating his silent lover as he usually did. "Omi and Nagi are asleep, but I think they're okay after whatever happened in here earlier." Yohji mentally winced with this statement, he didn't really believe that the two teens were truly all right, but it seemed better to say this than to tell the unconscious man that he had no idea what had gone wrong for the midnight-eyed youth that Ken was so fond of. 

Faltering in his attempts to remain upbeat, Yohji glanced at Aya to see if there had been any reaction to their presence like there had been the morning prior, but all he got was a sad shake of the head in response. Sighing and feeling defeated, the jade-eyed man turned his attention back to the one whose chocolate-colored eyes had remained closed far too long for his tastes and spoke from the heart, saying, "Baby, I love you and need to have you wake up soon. It's so hard just waiting for you to open your eyes again. To hear your voice would be better than anything I can imagine and to see you smile would be…" Yohji's voice trailed off as he felt himself choking up. Shaking his head and refusing to give in to the grief that wanted to drag him down, he exclaimed, "Damn it all, Ken! I *love* you and Aya and me need you back!"

A sharp intake of breath from the other man in the room caught Yohji's attention and he saw a miracle repeat itself as Ken's suntanned hand wrapped itself tightly around Aya's pale one and squeezed as well as the injured man could. 

"Ken?!" The scarlet-haired man exclaimed and an unquestioning smile lit up the usually stoic man's face as Aya returned the motion, gently but firmly letting the teen know he had felt the touch. "I think he's awake, Yohji!"

Amazed jade eyes were wide with hope as Yohji turned and asked, "Ken-love? Are you really awake, baby? Can you open your eyes for me?" 

As both concerned lovers watched, a small frown crossed Ken's features, the first facial expression they'd seen on him since before he'd been gunned down in battle in a nameless drug factory that was best forgotten. Struggling against the pull of medicines and the profound exhaustion that always follows major surgery, brunette lashes slowly fluttered open, revealing deep brown eyes that gazed at the world around them unseeing yet not unseen.

"KEN!!!" Yohji shouted in pure delight and had difficulty keeping from wrapping his arms around the barely aware teen, an act which the multitude of wires and tubes connected to his recovering body reminded him could be disastrous. 

The blond man's happiness seemed endless as Aya moved quickly to be where Ken could see him as well and he urged, "Ken? Can you hear us, love?" 

The endearment that the brunette had never heard before from his scarlet-haired partner went unappreciated by his hazy mind, yet it didn't fail to register with Yohji who flashed them both looks of triumph and limitless adoration even as Ken very tiredly tried to speak beneath the respirator mask. 

Yamanaka had been hovering close by throughout the visit by the two elder members of Weiss and she realized what was interfering with the clear breakthrough event that was occurring. Moving with a grace and speed that belied her own personal exhaustion, the nurse slipped around the adoring pair to a spot above the head of Ken's bed and she quickly and efficiently removed the mask, urging hopefully, "Did you want to say something, Ken-san?" 

In a rough, gravelly voice barely above a whisper, the claw-wielding assassin gasped his lovers' names, "yoh-ji? ay-a?" [1] 

Ignoring the tears of sheer joy that had formed in the corners of his eyes, Yohji smiled brighter than the sun as he responded with gladness, "Yeah, baby, we're both here for you! Oh, god, Ken-love!! It is *so* good to see you awake again!"

Not much better at containing his runaway emotions than his blond partner was, Aya promised, "We'll always be there for you when you need us from now on, Ken. How do you feel?"

Confusion crossed chocolate eyes that had already begun to sink shut again, the few brief moments of conversation having drained the recovering man's energy, yet Ken forced himself to stay awake to ask in a voice quieter than an infant's sigh, "wha' happened? where am i?"

Yohji shook his head, relieved smile still in place as he reassured his lover whom he knew needed to rest more before the nursing staff could have its own discussion with him at some point later in the night, "You were hurt, baby." Seeing that more explanation than that was needed, he added reassuringly, "You're in the hospital, Ken-love, but we're all here for you. Korat and Javanese are going to be taking care of you, okay?"

The small frown that crinkled the former athlete's tanned forehead indicated that even as confused and exhausted as he was, Ken was still aware of the meaning of having Kritiker's best nurses assigned to him. Granted, he didn't know he wasn't *at* Kritiker Medical Center in the first place, or he might've been even more alarmed. With an exhausted sigh, he turned his eyes towards clearly relieved and joyous amethyst ones and asked, "aya? 'r you 'kay, love? why so…?" 

The fog in Ken's mind prevented him from finding a way to ask why the swordsman was showing so much emotion but the person being questioned understood and answered firmly, "I'm happy because you woke up, Ken. We've all been very worried about you, but it'll all be okay now." Not willing to fail to fulfill a personal mission that he had assigned himself, Aya moved closer so that he was certain the younger of his two lovers could see as well as hear him and he added earnestly, "I love you, Ken. I needed to tell you that." The affirmation ended with a tender kiss to the injured man's temple and the look of surprise that entered sleepy chocolate eyes was priceless despite the injured teen's lack of energy to answer immediately.

Yohji's unrestrained tears of joy continued to course down his cheeks but now they held even more happiness within each salty drop than before. It had taken a near-death experience for their younger partner for Aya to find the strength to say those special words to either one of them and he was as happy to hear them directed at Ken as he would've been if they had been for him instead. With a heart filled with rejoicing, the jade-eyed man placed a warm hand onto the violet-eyed one's shoulder and gave him a weak approximation of the embrace he wished they could share. 

Glancing up to reveal wetness glimmering in amaryllis eyes, Aya attempted to make his mouth repeat the avowal of love so that he might include Yohji in the truth of the depth of his joy more fully yet found that he couldn't. Something held him back and he didn't understand it, so he simply smiled that rare open smile he so infrequently allowed himself to have before turning back in time to hear Ken yawn tiredly.

Shaking himself free of his thoughts of the elder of his two lovers to pay attention to the younger one once more, Yohji said tenderly, "Ken-love? Do you need to get some more sleep now, baby? You probably do and maybe next time you wake up, Omi and Nagi will be here to see you, okay?" He was well aware that the injured man hadn't been sleeping per se previously, but it was always best to speak to someone in Ken's condition in the least upsetting of terms, so Yohji wisely chose "sleeping" over "unconsciousness." 

Nodding minutely and feeling more exhausted than he thought possible, Ken agreeed but finally answered Aya's proclamation in a voice barely louder than the machinery that surrounded him, "yeah, i wanna sleep for 'while. 'n i love you, too, aya." The small smile that lifted the corners of his lips wasn't lost on his audience as he added breathlessly, "'n you too, yohji. i dunno wha's got you both s' upset, but everything'll be 'kay, you'll see." Even as he spoke uninformed yet confident words, Ken was slipping into a deep and restful slumber and warm chocolate eyes then slid shut once more.

With a smile of her own that spoke of both her professional and personal delight at seeing her patient not only regain consciousness yet also speak coherently with those whom he loved, Yamanaka stated quietly, "I need to replace his oxygen mask now." She glanced at them one at a time as if to ask if they needed to give the one they loved a kiss good-night as it were, then turned her coal-dark eyes away to allow them the semblance of privacy to do so.

After dashing away some of the last of his heartfelt tears of joy, Yohji leaned over and placed the softest of kisses to Ken's lips at the same time that he reached to brush a hand across a katana-nicked cheek before urging the sleeper, "Pleasant dreams, Ken-love. Someone will be here for you when you wake up again, sweetheart." Grateful to the nurse for giving him a chance to express his feelings one more time that night, he pulled away and made room for his other lover to offer his own farewell. 

Trailing the tip of a finger over Ken's generous lips with an expression of soft wonderment on his face, Aya quietly said, "Thank you for waking up for us, Ken. Rest well, love." Amaryllis eyes gazed at the slumbering man for a moment more then he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss of his own onto his lover's lips. 

After straightening up, the scarlet-haired man reached to self-consciously brush one earlock back into place before saying more loudly, "I think we're done here for the moment, nurse." The woman turned back to look at the two men with a kind smile in place and he added on behalf of himself as well as the man standing beside him, "Thank you for being understanding."

Yamanaka blinked with surprise. She didn't claim to know these men well at all, but she knew such a seemingly simple statement of gratitude didn't come easily to the proud young man in front of her and she merely bowed her head in acceptance. Then she said, "If you'll give me a moment, I'd like to return to the desk with you so we can tell Javanese and Korat about Ken-san's awakening, all right?"

Answering for them both, Yohji agreed off-handedly as his thoughts remained filled with only the image of Aya verbally professing his love for Ken for the first time, "Yeah, sure thing."

Glancing at the lanky blond and seeing the faraway look in his eyes, Aya wished briefly that they could avoid speaking with the nursing staff in favor of celebrating the change in Ken's condition. He was torn between thoughts of just he and Yohji finding a private place to rejoice in their own fashion together or awakening the sleeping teens who would be extremely relieved to hear the news, but it didn't really matter. Knowing that duty took precedence over personal wishes, the swordsman said nothing and merely stood at Yohji's side, waiting either for the nurse to give them instructions to follow her or for his elder lover to refocus on the present.

Unaware of his own distracted nature or the quietly excited state of his partner standing nearby, Yohji remained lost in thought as long fingers unwittingly played with a lock of long blond hair in a rough approximation of one of the things Ken enjoyed doing in cozy post-coital moments.

For once, the brief pause in their lives wasn't filled with angst and sorrow, though. There was an air of hope swirling around the eldest members of Weiss and soon it would break free and dance across not only Tokyo General Hospital but beyond its walls as well.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Dialogue that is devoid of capitalization is intended to be read as being extremely soft. The speaker here, of course, has just awakened after a nearly fatal injury and surgery which caused him to be not only tired but also to have a sore throat from the breathing tube used previously, so Ken's voice would be extremely quiet and yet somewhat rough. Also, in this type of dialogue there's a fair amount of shortening of the words to indicate the person speaking is too tired to say an entire sentence correctly. If an "abbreviation" of a word baffles you, trying speaking the line aloud, it's usually easier to understand that way, or at least that was the excuse Mark Twain used for writing some of his own stuff this way.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 32 & 33 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to a number of special people in recognition of their wonderful friendship and their unfailing support through my recent bouts with flamers for not only this story but also for my Cowboy Bebop fic, "A Reunion of Comrades." It may seem odd to recognize their wonderful support here when it was mostly needed for a fic written in another fandom, but since almost all of these kind folks are following this story as well, I wanted to do it here. 

First and foremost among those who gave me support in February during these seemingly minor crises that actually tend to rip my muses from me and send me into unhappy withdrawal was Ryoko for whom the Bebop fic was written in the first place. She's always been a staunch ally in situations like this, but to see me unhappy because of something I had done for her simply wasn't tolerable. My kitten can be quite the ferocious feline when given cause to be and I was lucky enough to have that power in my corner.

The numerous others who supported me via not only public review comments at fanfiction.net but also through direct email included but certainly wasn't limited to: Yanagi-sen (see? didn't I tell you she was an amazing friend?), Portia (another wonderful soul to whom I am eternally grateful), e.e (who was quite kind to review this for me so generously), focsyr (who has an interesting taste in knives, I must say!), Persephone (who is a kind goddess just like her namesake), bearilou and toxic (who together made me feel infinitely better), Michele, Krystal, Nightfall, and several other folks whose nice letters to me were apparently eaten by my over-stuffed email box unless I hallucinated reading them a couple of weeks ago. 

Last but not least since family is never "least", my little brother was supportive, too, in his unique and stealthy ways. Suffice it to say, he, too, has an alter ego and given an excuse it can get loose and hound the opposition to death! He also didn't hesitate to tell me that he thought the story was good and basically kept me more enthusiastic than I had thought I'd be afterwards. So, thanks, dude, for the nice support! Or was that a "nice cover"? 

{snickers at Trigun in-joke his bro will understand even if no one else gets it and then yawns and shivers a little before ending this here hoping everyone who has read this far enjoyed the major change of events in Part 33}

Well, team, that's it for tonight! If I don't freeze to death during the night, I'll do my level best to get more edited up and be back for you tomorrow. Then again, it's a damn good thing my computer is on the second floor of my house, ne?

Hasta Luego!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who would dearly love to know if Lauren's requested Kleenex warning was justified or not, after all, the chibi loves to hear she was right about stuff like that when her dad wasn't sure it was needed {smirks then adds as if realizing he was being dense} gee, don't *all* kids like to be right when their parents are wrong?)

Posted 05 March 2002, ~4:00am.


	34. Another Important Breakthrough

Greetings and welcome once again to the Angst Theatre's debut showing of "Cold November Rain" the story that seems to have no regard whatsoever for my personal life in that it insists on being shared with the world even when I'm in no condition to do so.

{pauses, shivers badly, looks rather ill for more reasons than one even though all such reasons revolve around a household crisis then sighs and explains}

Those of you who read these intro- and end-notes have followed the typical angst-inducing course of Real Life at the Casa de Llama, but last night's big news doesn't have even the pseudo-happy ending most of my crises do. Instead, the mention of the unexpected inactivation of one of the heat pumps in my house has gone the other direction entirely. I am sad to say that not only is it freezing in here--literally--again, it is also about to be bloody cold in my bank account after I have to scramble to come up with a *very* large sum to cover the cost of a whole new system.

{feels desperately ill, wonders why there isn't some form of insurance against crises like this since it's going to cost more than repairing many cars after a "slightly less than totaled" traffic accident would or even *replacing* one if it was a low-priced used car. whimpers and adds a little more info then stops talking about this preferring to let the story try to brighten his mood}

So, how could this possibly impact you, the gentle reader who only wants to read more about the evolving situation at Tokyo General Hospital? After all, you are at your own residence, school, or place of business, hopefully a place that is warm and comfortable where your own heater wouldn't dream of malfunctioning on you and costing you an arm and a leg, right? Well, for reasons that are long and involved and ultimately extremely depressing, I might miss a night tomorrow due to lack of time to write/edit and I might miss more than that if the clearly very disturbing financial aspect gets to me too badly.

{looks exceptionally unhappy about everything then shrugs, tries to put it out of his mind by slipping into Vicious' tuxedo and doing the usual routine about opening the theatre} 

Our performance tonight opens with Part 34 featuring a brief review of what had occurred with the nursing staff while the men of Weiss plus Nagi slept and then it picks up once more with a sudden and unexpected breakthrough for Aya and Yohji. The show continues in Part 35 where dark dream images haunt those gathered in Room 121 before good news spreads and increases.

{stops the intro-note here instead of mentioning anything else unhappy and hopes for the best}

Enjoy the story and stay warm wherever you are! 

~~~Enigma~~~

(who was as frustrated as many of you were last night when YahooGroups took an unexpected night off and all those copies of the new fic pieces went into their queue to be delivered later, out of order and some arriving a full 15 hours later! gomenasai for the delay, but at least it went up at fanfiction.net on schedule, thankfully!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 34/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 0025-0115 hours ++

*****

In the wake of Ken's return to the world of the living for even a short time, Yohji and Aya were understandably pleased yet also fairly distracted as far as the nurses they were supposedly discussing things with were concerned. The lanky blond continued to smile non-stop even when he wasn't paying attention and the scarlet-haired man had retreated behind a wall of controlled quiet that wasn't angry or cold, simply no longer open or emotional as he had been ten minutes before. 

Despite her mild irritation with the two men who were too distracted to be helpful or to receive her assistance in any meaningful fashion, Javanese reflected for a moment on how the situation had gotten to be the way it was now. She and Korat had both been present in the intensive care unit when Yohji and Aya had arrived to visit Ken due to the fact that Norwegian had assigned them each twelve hour shifts that would switch at midnight and noon for the duration of the crisis. After Korat and Norwegian had left the company of the exhausted assassins many hours earlier, it was decided that the ebony-skinned man would take first watch over Siberian and Javanese was given a private room to sleep in for a few hours. 

While the bluish-black-haired woman had rested during the day, Yamanaka had proven herself an invaluable ally to Korat, showing him the capabilities of the intensive care unit and helping him to keep Ken under constant surveillance. Between the two of them, they had been able to improve the arrangement of the room so that when the injured man's teammates would return they would be able to visit with him more easily and they hoped it might make the difference that it ultimately had. 

Prior to the Weiss assassins' arrival, the two Kritiker nurses had been discussing Yamanaka's replacement from the Tokyo General staff, a man by the name of Okazaki who was due to report for duty at 1am. [1] She had assured them he was far more reliable than Takeshi was on even her best days and Javanese was looking forward to meeting someone new and taking on the challenge of explaining to the members of Weiss and their friend all that had occurred as they slept. However, since the most instrumental duo from the team had already been there and had undoubtedly ushered in the greatest change she could have hoped for, she was now less concerned about the new nurse. Instead, at almost 12:35am, Javanese was focused on why the two men she was trying to talk to were so distracted and she finally decided their discussion was serving no purpose and needed to be ended. 

With a small shrug, Javanese finally said, "Abyssinian? Balinese? Would you mind if we talked about this more later?"

"Huh?" Yohji remarked vaguely, blinking somewhat lost jade eyes for a moment as he tried to recall if they were still talking about how soon Norwegian was expected back after being needed at Kritiker Medical Center for an emergency around 10pm or if the topic of conversation had changed. After a glance at his violet-eyed lover who looked as confused as he was, he added, "Why would we want to do that? Didn't you need more input from us on Ken?"

The nurse shook her head, why did some people have to prove her point so well at times? With an understanding smile, she patted the baffled blond on the arm and explained, "No, Balinese, we already covered that. But you seem to need some time to let this latest development sink in. Why don't we talk about what we're planning to do about changing Siberian's respiratory support plans later after you've had a chance to think about everything?"

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, Abyssinian spoke for himself as well as his partner, saying in a neutral yet somehow grateful tone of voice, "Very well, Javanese. We'll see to it that Bombay and Nagi know that Siberian regained consciousness before very long, so you can probably expect to see them here within the hour, all right?" He glanced at Yohji who nodded agreement then added in a tone warmer than his mission-voice, "We'll most likely be with them when they come, though. No reason to risk a repeat of yesterday morning if we can avoid it."

"*That* is a certainty!" Korat agreed firmly, then added in a no-nonsense tone, "We do not wish to have either Nagi or Bombay face such a situation again regardless." If he had his way, Nagi would be protected by the umbrella of safety Norwegian's team was there to extend as much as Omi was and his tone expressed that resolve. 

After spending time with the Schwarz psychic and then speaking with Manx and Norwegian about him at length, the ebony-skinned nurse had realized that it was all too easy to become overly fond of the midnight blue-eyed telekinetic. Despite not seeing an actual demonstration of Nagi's powers, Korat had a healthy respect for them yet this was not what had drawn him to care for the boy already. 

For himself and several key Kritiker operatives and agents such as Manx and Norwegian, Omi had been like a member of their family for quite some time. They'd all watched the usually genki blond go from a frightened young boy to the confident, computer-hacking, tactical genius they all knew and loved. When the announcement had been very quietly made the day before that the Weiss archer had fallen in love with a member of the enemy, Korat had immediately known that Nagi had to be someone truly special. He had not, however, expected to find someone as enigmatic, complex, and obviously deeply troubled as the telekinetic was but he also didn't know any of the heart-wrenching secrets of the former street-child's past. 

The ebony-skinned man's heart had gone out to Nagi while he had performed the brief examination on him and he soon realized that Sokoke, the secretary with a flair for food, was suffering a similar fate. They hadn't spoken of him directly, yet the nurse had reflected on the way the honey-blond woman had been so concerned about him and he recalled her remarks about the telekinetic reminding her of her youngest cousin. 

As it was, though, Korat would most likely be asleep before the two teens came to the intensive care unit and he added to his insistence on sparing Omi and Nagi any more mistakes there or elsewhere, "We will see to it that all due consideration is given to *everyone's* safety, Abyssinian. Give my best regards to the boys, too, won't you? I plan to see them both when I return to duty this afternoon."

"Very well," Abyssinian agreed coolly, unaware of the man's feelings about a boy who triggered strange reactions from himself that he didn't have the time to think about at the moment. After nodding to the assembled nurses, he announced, "We'll be back later." Without issuing orders that they do everything in their power to care for Ken since he knew they would without his instructions to do so, Aya turned on his heel, inclined his head in silent command to his teammate, then strode from the room, head held high. 

Somewhat baffled by his companion's behavior, there hadn't seemed to be a need to maintain a mission-like stance at this point, Yohji merely shrugged his shoulders elegantly and then offered, "Well, I guess I'm supposed to follow his lead like usual, but before I go, thanks again for everything, Korat. You and Yamanaka have done a great job of keeping everything working well here this evening and I'm sure it'll go great with Javanese and that new nurse later."

They smiled at him and he then realized the soft tattoo of Aya's shoes on the floor of the intensive care unit had stopped and the scarlet-haired man was undoubtedly awaiting him impatiently so he added quickly, "See you in a bit with the kids, okay, Javanese?"

"Sure thing," the woman smiled at him again as he turned to rush off to catch up with Aya. She didn't even bother to wonder what was going on between the two Weiss assassins, whatever it was, they seemed to have more energy than before and that made the nurse quite pleased.

Yohji approached Aya who stood motionless and facing away from him in the doorway that separated the intensive care unit from the hallway that led back to Room 121 where Omi and Nagi continued to sleep unaware of the newest piece of information pertaining to Ken. The lanky blond was hard-pressed not to ask the scarlet-haired man what he was thinking, choosing instead to simply walk up beside him and ask, "Now what?"

Wordlessly, the violet-eyed man resumed his walk away from the intensive care unit and towards the others when he suddenly stopped outside the door that led to the smoking porch and he commanded quietly, "Let's go outside." He pushed the door open that lead to peaceful near-midnight darkness and silently bade his partner to follow him through it.

Confused, the jade-eyed man agreed, "All right, Aya, if that's what you want." He double-checked his pockets for the cigarettes that he had grabbed automatically before leaving their room, intending to offer one to his lover even as his own nicotine-addicted body suddenly cried out for relief. 

But as he stepped out into the unexpectedly rain-free night air, Yohji found himself suddenly grabbed by hands made powerful by years of swordsmanship that pressed him firmly against a brick wall, pining him in place before Aya pressed a sudden and intense kiss to his mouth. Blinking in shock, the blond submitted to the unexpected show of force by the previously distant scarlet-haired man then jade eyes slowly sank closed as the kiss became less explosive fire and more smoldering passion. 

Unconsciously, Yohji's arms rose to surround the younger man who continued to press him against the wall almost painfully. Pulling his partner tightly to him, the elder of the two enjoyed the feeling of the long, lean lines of his lover's body against his own.

In truth, surprisingly, it had probably been months since just the two of them had shared anything that was even a shadow of what they were exchanging now. However, this was not the prelude to an ill-timed seduction in a public place that it might have been had it been only the blond and the brunette members of this romantic trio in better days, exhibitionism just wasn't Aya's style. A lack of finesse with words when his emotions ran at their highest, however, *was* typical of the Weiss field-leader and a need to communicate his joy had found expression in physical form.

However, for Yohji, the idea that Aya would take the lead in any form of intimacy even something as limited as a kiss might seem to some, this was the third spectacular breakthrough in less than an hour. 

The first wondrous event of the night, of course, was Ken's awakening, something that Yohji, too, was understandably preoccupied with. The second, and equally momentous event for the Weiss trio, was the first verbal avowal of love from Aya to a man whose bed he'd shared for months who had always made the same pledge to both of his partners easily and often. This third breakthrough, to have the typically cold and occasionally emotionless redhead behave so forwardly, was not quite of the same caliber as the first two events, but to the recipient of the man's attentions, it was miraculous just the same. 

As the eternal need to breathe interrupted the simmering caress of lips on lips and tongue against tongue, the instigator of the kiss pushed back separating from his lover as he panted for breath with violet eyes held tightly closed. 

Sensing his lover's need for physical space, the older of the two allowed his arms to slip free even as he, too, gasped for air. Finally becoming aware of the feeling of sharply pointed masonry against his back, Yohji gazed at his partner in confused yet pleased wonder and asked, "Aya? What was *that* all about?" With an expression of soft inquiry as his lover remained silent, he moved to lightly brush fingertips over his own kiss-swollen lips and he added, "Not that it wasn't great and all, it was! But still…? Why here? Why now?"

Pulled back to reality by his lover's additional questions, the scarlet-haired man turned away and gazed out into the cold, dry darkness before answering quietly as if ashamed, "Why *not*, Yohji? I've finally realized that there're too many things left to do that I ought to have done a long time ago." When Aya turned back around, there was no effort to hide a suspicious shimmer of wetness in the corner of one jewel-like eye as he added in a tone that spoke of profound relief, "He came back to us, Yohji. Ken came back!"

The same soul-deep relief flooded the taller of the two, as well. Blond hair shook slightly as Yohji nodded firmly, warm smile blossoming on his lips as he moved to gently trace a thumb across his lover's pale cheek, brushing warmth in and tears away as he said quietly, "Of course he did, Aya. Our Ken's a fighter and I knew he'd pull through just fine. We've just gotta have faith, baby."

Emotion-deepened amaryllis eyes slid partially shut with pain at the sudden recollection of some of the more dire aspects of Ken's prognosis that had yet to be addressed and Aya responded softly, "But what about the spine and kidney injuries, Yohji? It's too early to know how those are going to turn out." Forcing his eyes back open and searching the other man's face for something to build hope upon anew, he added in sorrow, "How can having 'faith' make either of those any better, Yohji? How can anything you or I do make the difference Ken needs now?"

"Shh, baby, shh," the elder of the pair soothed then moved to draw Aya into the warm embrace they should have exchanged the day before to have kept things between them from spiraling out of control so badly. Tucking the scarlet-haired head down against himself with one hand, Yohji cradled his lover to him and assured gently in a tender voice, "Don't give up now, Aya. He came back to us, just like you said. Now give him a chance to keep healing and get strong again." Sensing resistance to his words of comfort, he explained, "Faith, baby, isn't something you can spend like cash and buy a miracle, it's something you keep a tight hold on and give to the ones you love when they need it most. Right now, Ken needs us to give him all of it we can get, okay?"

Resting, eyes closed and face nestled gratefully against Yohji's warm neck, Aya inhaled the scent of the elder of his two lovers and found reassurance in it as much as in his words. 

Those who knew the Weiss swordsman well realized he typically had no use for concepts like faith since what little light and hope his world had once held had been drained from it one horrible day several years prior. The events of a day that had included the frivolous fun of a festival and preparation for a birthday celebration with the person he loved most dearly at the time had turned the taste of joy to that of ashes. It had remained that way until he finally opened his heart to the unique men of Weiss, three assassins who had somehow trusted him enough to offer him a place amongst them. A place that, eventually, allowed him to realize that the love that had lain dormant within him for so long could arise like a phoenix and soar once again. 

Now, though, the emotions that called forth the image of a flaming bird arising from a funeral pyre were a confused mixture of both hope and intrinsic pessimism as the violet-eyed man tried to choose a path to follow. In his moment of uncertainty, however, Aya truly didn't know what to think and he simply remained where he was, suffering quietly.

Attuned to both of those that he had pledged his love to and his life for, the former detective knew in his heart that the man he cradled close needed something to hold onto. The first image that came to mind that fit that description was one involving a pair of blue-eyed teenagers whose presence had seemed to somehow comfort the scarlet-haired man recently. 

With a tiny smirk, Yohji gently shook Aya's shoulder, urging the damp violet eyes to rise and almost glare at him for being disturbed from their comfortable home in darkness, then he offered the same reassurance that Nagi had offered him the afternoon prior. Hoping against hope his words wouldn't be taken as flippant or disrespectful, he asked as much as urged, "Ganbatte, Aya?"

The younger of the two was startled to hear the unexpected word of encouragement from his teammate's mouth. Confused for a moment, Aya failed to respond immediately and Yohji assumed he'd chosen a bad time to try that approach on him and he felt his heart wilt in disappointment.

The Weiss swordsman, however, quickly shook off his silence to answer with as much confidence as he could find at the moment, "Ganbatte!" Nodding as he saw the smile return to his partner's lips he nodded decisively and repeated himself, "Absolutely, ganbatte, Yohji! I'll do my best to remember that."

"Good," the lanky blond agreed and brushed a kiss against the forehead that remained tantalizingly close before adding, "We'll just keep doing what we can for Ken and hope for the best, right?"

"Definitely," Aya added, voice more calm as he regained control of his emotions. Then, as if an afterthought, he added, "Why don't we go tell Omi and Nagi the good news, Yohji? I'm sure they wanted to know about this as much as we did."

Smiling at the thought of how delighted the two worried teens would be, Yohji agreed, "Sounds like a damned good idea to me, Aya! I think Omiitchi will be happy as a lark to hear Kenken not only opened his eyes but talked to us, too."

Aya snorted softly and reached for the handle on the door that would lead them back inside, commenting, "Hell, I'd be surprised if he didn't jump for joy or something equally cliché, Yohji! But you're right, they deserve to know about this. Let's go wake them up and tell them."

Chuckling softly as the image of the Weiss archer literally jumping up and down in delight crossed his mind, the blond agreed and mock-complained, "But if we go back in now, Aya, how can I grab a smoke while we're out here?"

Not one to joke about something that serious or wanting to get into a discussion about how much tobacco they had both been abusing their bodies with lately, Aya answered pragmatically, "You can't. You either come with me since I fully intend to go do just that, *or* you stay here and smoke. Your choice, Kudou."

Shrugging and following along behind his lover, the jade-eyed man groused good-naturedly, "I was just joking, Fujimiya. Of course I want to be there to see their reaction."

"All right," Aya answered, throwing a glance at the other man from the corner of his eye even as he added to himself alone that the two of them *would* have a discussion about drug addiction one of these days. After all, nicotine was indeed a drug of the most insidious kind, addictive, and life-altering and if he could possibly change anything about the elder of his two lovers it might be to see to it that Yohji found other outlets for his needs than tobacco.

The pair reentered the hospital once more filled with hope as they went to check on the two boys. They never once stopped to wonder what Korat did or didn't discover about Nagi that might have lead to his collapse less than 24 hours earlier as well as his continued weakness the last time they'd seen him. Things were looking up for a change, any thoughts like that which would do nothing but weigh them down seemed to have been blocked entirely. But it was understandable since someone who had been miserable for awhile and finally felt better simply wanted to stay that way.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Note:

[1] Following what has become a CNR tradition, this new medical staff member is named for the Director of Photography for the WK anime series Hideo Okazaki and, as usual, may or may not have anything in common with his namesake.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 34 & 35 will be posted together. 


	35. Sharing the Joy, Foreshadowing the Horro...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 35/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-February, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers, original characters. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Koyasu Takehito and Project Weiss. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 0115-0145 hours ++

*****

It only took a moment for the elder members of Weiss to return to the quiet peace of Room 121, their hearts light as they planned to share the joy that they had found in the intensive care unit with their friends. 

Aya tapped quietly on the door before opening it to discover the two teens remained wrapped around one another, deeply asleep despite the soft glow of a lamp near the bed with a note from Korat resting beneath it just like the one Yohji had found in Room 119. Glancing at his partner, the scarlet-haired man intended to ask silently which one of them ought to rouse the two sleepers, but before he could do so, he stopped, the mesmerized expression he saw on Yohji's face was too profound to disturb.

Lost in thoughts of the wondrous developments surrounding his own pair of lovers, Yohji hadn't been mentally prepared for the impact of the now familiar sight of the two boys intertwined beneath a mound of covers courtesy of the ebony-skinned nurse. Omi lay on his side, body curved protectively around that of his petite boyfriend, keeping Nagi tucked tightly against him in both arms. The sweetness of their expressions could only be described as "angelic" and it made him wish that there was a way to give them both back the innocence they'd each lost by being forced to become assassins. But that was no more possible than it was to erase the sadness and suffering any of them had experienced and with a sigh, he shook himself from his momentary reverie.

Frowning slightly at the way his partner's mood had darkened briefly, the scarlet-haired man turned his attention to the sleeping boys, found nothing wrong, then looked at the blond man beside him as he wordlessly mouthed an inquiry. "What's wrong?" Aya asked, relieved that they had learned to lip-read for stealth missions that required silence.

"Nothing," Yohji mouthed back, deliberately trying to add a smile that was as obviously false as his assertion. 

The swordsman almost called his companion a liar to his face and considered dragging the jade-eyed man back out of the room to find out what had disturbed him, this was no time for new secrets to fester between them. Yet somehow he sensed it was not a greatly disquieting thing that was bothering Yohji and he assumed correctly that awakening the slumbering boys would alleviate most of the tension in the air.

With a decision not to press the issue in mind at present, Aya slowly nodded his acceptance of the falsehood and then inclined his head towards the bed inquiring how they ought to proceed.

Relieved that the man beside him was willing to let his minor dark moment slide away without discussion, the lanky blond half-smiled honestly and asked silently, "May I?"

"Go right ahead," the scarlet-haired man answered equally silently, then stood aside so his lover could approach the hospital bed where the two teens cuddled together like kittens taking a rest after playing too hard.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yohji moved to place a warm hand on Omi's shoulder and gave it a gentle shake as he called softly, "Omiitchi, time to wake up, bishounen."

The younger blond whimpered softly not wishing to leave the peaceful world of dreams he had been enjoying that included several captivating fantasies about himself and his chosen love somewhat older and living together while attending Tokyo University in relative domestic bliss. Forcing himself to set aside a delightful new image of coming home to find a warm apartment filled with candlelight and sensual music playing in the background, Omi dragged one eye open and peered up at his teammate. 

Mind fuzzy with sleep and happy realization that he was laying in bed, holding his boyfriend in his arms yet again, he asked very softly, "yohji-kun? is something wrong?"

Smiling reassuringly, the elder blond shook his head and answered equally quietly, "no, something's right for a change. why not wake nagi up and we'll tell you both all about it?"

The statement that there was a positive change to be discussed caused the cerulean eye to widen and without hesitation Omi gently rearranged his lover slightly so he could bring one hand up and caress sable hair as he urged, "Nagi-love? Can you wake up, please?"

A quiet grunt of unhappiness was his answer as the telekinetic pressed himself back into his chest and then laid still not having awakened at all. With a slight chuckle at how adorable the boy in his arms was at times, Omi stroked Nagi's cheek and insisted more firmly, "Wake up, love. Yohji-kun and Aya-kun are here to tell us something important."

Mumbling groggily, midnight blue eyes tried to open as Nagi fought his way free of his own dreams, which included a fairly dark and confusing set of scenarios where he sensed danger yet wasn't afraid for himself yet was horrified for his green-eyed teammate instead. As sleep was forced from his mind, there was one last image of bright red hair flying as Schuldich raged helplessly against someone Nagi had never seen before. A man with carrot-orange hair wore blood-spattered garments and merely laughed cruelly in the Schwarz telepath's face offering to do to him what he was in the process of doing to another whom the dreamer could not see. 

Terrified, Nagi awoke, crying out in anguished horror, "Schu! No!" 

"Nagi-love?!" Omi exclaimed in fright, "What's wrong?"

Breathing rapidly, Nagi was wild-eyed as he looked at the other men in the room and saw concern and affection in both jade and violet eyes before turning towards comforting and deeply loving cerulean ones. Suddenly aware that he had inadvertently gathered power as if to strike, the telekinetic dispersed the force and felt his heartbeat slow and his breathing calm as he admitted breathlessly, "It was just a dream, koi. I'm all right."

"More nightmares?" The boy who held him asked in concern. Omi hadn't missed the darkening in Nagi's eyes that had warned briefly of a substantial gathering of power that hadn't been there the morning before when Nagi awoke from the images of running blindly through darkness. Comparing the two experiences, he asked, "Was it the same as this morning's dream? The voices and all that?"

"No," shaking his head slightly and trying to pull the images back that had already faded too badly to relate the most crucial of details, Nagi frowned and said, "at least, I don't think so. I can't really remember it now, something about Schu being in trouble, I think."

Yohji suppressed a desire to growl at the mention of the powerful Schwarz telepath, a man he might've been able to be friends with had they originally met in a dance club or somewhere other than the urban battlefield where they had faced off against one another far too often. Instead, he forced himself to keep in mind that the diminutive telekinetic was the one who mattered at the moment and he asked, "Do you have precognitive dreams like Crawford does, bishounen?" Willing to follow the boy's lead if it was what would benefit Nagi most, he added, "Do we need to do something about this vision of yours if Schuldich is in trouble?"

The man's earnest voice did much to warm and calm Nagi's heart. There was so much concern and trust there that the sable-haired teen allowed himself to relax against the strong arms that embraced him and he shook his head more firmly before admitting sheepishly, "Yes, I've had a few dreams like that, Yohji-kun, I think everyone has. But I can't even remember now what seemed to be the problem with Schu in the dream so it's probably just some free floating anxiety over stealing his car or something bothering my subconscious." Realizing the wire-wielding Weiss assassin had offered to aid someone he ordinarily wouldn't have even considered giving help to in the first place simply because Nagi asked him to, the petite psychic added with sincere appreciation, "Thank you for being so concerned, Yohji-kun."

Not entirely convinced there wasn't something far more important going on than that, Yohji considered asking a few more questions, but then he recalled the reason why he and Aya were there in the first place and he decided to drop the subject in favor of something more concrete. With a half-hearted smile he answered, "Well, you're welcome, of course, but if anything about that dream bothers you later, I'd like to hear about it." He received a thankful nod of agreement, then continued in a cheerier voice, "In the meantime, do you two want to hear about something really fabulous?"

The look of concern for the boy he was holding left Omi's eyes as his lightning-quick mind arrived at the inescapable realization of the nature of their news and he gasped delightedly, "Did Ken-kun wake up?!"

Mock-pouting, Yohji made a moue of disappointment then asked, "Who told you our good news before we could, Omiitchi? Aya was *so* looking forward to telling you all the details!" He glanced over his shoulder at his partner who had remained typically silent during the discussion of Nagi's dream even though Aya was listening carefully to every word spoken. Now, however, there was an unmistakable expression of satisfaction in violet eyes and the wire-wielding assassin knew there had to be a matching look in his own jade ones.

"Really?!" The youngest member of Weiss burbled excitedly, hugging his suddenly speechless boyfriend fiercely then scrambling out of the bed to rush over to embrace first Aya and then Yohji who had stood up when Omi was trying to escape from the covers. Practically shouting with delight, the younger blond exclaimed, "This is *great*!" Then he rushed back to hug Nagi once more in celebration. 

Nonplussed by the boy's excitement, the scarlet-haired man merely stood where he was and allowed his partner to continue to handle the situation despite Yohji's jokes that this was to have been Aya's news to tell and not his own. 

Caught in the grips of a joy so visceral he couldn't contain his enthusiasm, Omi remained on his feet and asked in a rush, "When did it happen? Is he still awake? Can I go see him? Is he feeling better?"

"Easy there, bishounen!" Yohji laughed delightedly, the sight of Omi behaving in a fashion that he had once labeled as "beyond genki maximum" gave him more strength than he might have predicted and it only made the news that much sweeter to share. Making calming gestures with his hands, he encouraged the cerulean-eyed teen to sit down next to his quiet yet clearly pleased boyfriend and he explained, "Relax for a minute, Omiitchi! You can't go anywhere *near* an ICU bouncing around like a crazed kitten who got into the catnip!"

"Spoilsport!" Omi laughed in return then happily plopped himself down next to Nagi who had moved to sit up in bed and had a smile of gladness of his own. Turning to look at the one he adored, the Weiss archer asked the Schwarz telekinetic, "Isn't this the *best* news, Nagi-love?! I'm so happy!"

"Yes, it is, Omi-koi," the usually shy sable-haired boy beamed delightedly, silently thanking whichever gods might've intervened to insure that his ill-timed collapse an unknown number of hours prior hadn't caused the chocolate-eyed teen to remain unconscious. Then he looked at the two men standing nearby and asked, "What did the doctor have to say about this, Aya-kun? Does this mean Ken-kun will be recovering faster now?"

Aya shrugged slightly, it was clear the midnight-eyed boy didn't have much experience with serious battle injuries or he wouldn't have asked such an obvious question, then he answered truthfully, "We didn't see a doctor with Ken before we left the ICU, Nagi." He saw the inquiring look of concern on both teens' faces and he explained, "Norwegian had to go back to KMC because of an emergency but Javanese, Korat, and Yamanaka were all there so I don't think it makes any difference. As to recovery, yes, regaining consciousness after surgery is always a crucial transition, but there's no way to predict recovery time any more accurately now than we could before."

"Oh, I see," the disappointment in Nagi's eyes was so clear that Aya felt almost drawn to try to physically comfort the boy who not so long ago had lain unconscious himself. 

The strange feelings in the swordsman's chest were back but before he could worry over them too much, Omi's lilting voice repeated an earlier question with more calm and control, "Can I go to see Ken-kun soon, please? I want to see how he's doing and it's been so long since I saw him this morning I'm hoping he's a lot better now." He glanced at his watch and made a muffled noise of startlement before correcting himself, "I mean, since I saw him yesterday. Shoot, I had no idea it was so *late*!"

"What do you mean, koi?" Nagi asked, surprised since he assumed it wasn't much past seven or eight in the evening based on the darkness outside their window.

"It's a little after 1:30 in the morning, love, look," he held his arm where his boyfriend could read the watch for himself and then turned to ask with hurt in his voice, "Yohji-kun? Why did you let us sleep so long? I'm feeling a lot better and all, but I would've wanted to see Ken-kun again before now if I'd had a chance."

The elder blond shook his head apologetically, then picked up the note from Korat and after seeing it was basically the same as the one he'd found in his own room, he handed it to the younger blond explaining, "It wasn't my decision, Omiitchi. It would appear that Norwegian left orders for us to sleep as long as we needed to. But I dare say we've slept enough by now so if you and Nagi want to get up and grab some shoes, we can head down to the ICU whenever you're ready."

Nodding with a smile, Omi accepted then paused and regarded his boyfriend with concern and asked, "Nagi-love? If you'd rather stay here while I go to see Ken-kun, I'm sure that would be okay." Nervous memories of seeing his love ashen-faced on a gurney came to mind and he added, "But if you *do* want to come, I promise not to check anything I shouldn't, okay?"

Trying not to show the trepidation he felt in his heart, Nagi glanced at the two older assassins then nodded, saying, "I want to come, koi. I'd like to at least get a chance to be there if he might wake up again, but if I feel like I'm going to pass out I'll make sure to do something about it this time." Ashamed, he looked down to where his fingers wove together nervously as he added, "That other time wasn't all your fault alone, you know."

Before Omi could slip into one of his guilt-ridden rants against himself, Yohji cleared his throat noisily and stated, "*I'm* going back to the ICU in a minute, guys. If you want to come with me stop chatting and grab your shoes. No bare feet in the intensive care unit, no da!" 

Any dark thoughts wandering through Omi's mind were suddenly stopped dead by the jade-eyed man's inside joke with him and he smiled and answered, "All right, Chichirii! We'll hurry up!"

"Good," Yohji smirked and moved to give the two teens room to locate the few things they needed before they could go to see their friend, then added, "Especially since my Fushigi Yuugi riff usually includes that whole bit about 'Knock, knock, who's there? Kohji! Kohji who?' and doesn't *that* just sound like too much of a reference to Generator Gawl after awhile?" [1] 

Omi giggled on cue while Aya rolled his eyes in mock-annoyance to unnecessary admissions to the excessive quantity of anime that was watched in the living room they all shared at the Koneko. Nagi simply wondered why so many of the shows they talked about had always struck him as too shojo to really be enjoyable at first glance, but wisely refrained from mentioning that fact. 

Before long, they were ready to go and the four young assassins left the safety of Room 121 en route to the intensive care unit and whatever new twists fate held in store for them. They were hopeful that even if there weren't any new miracles to be had there would be no new disasters to face either. 

Halfway to their destination, the group passed the door to the smoking porch. Omi distantly noted that he thought he saw a star in the sky, but it never quite sunk in that the distant glimmer of light meant that the cold November rain had stopped, at least for the moment.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Note:

[1] Forgive me, this is an in-joke with my chibis about Shinichiro Miki who did both Yohji of WK and Kohji of Generator Gawl! Of course, just by chance, Tomokazu Seki actually played both Chichirii *and* Kohji in FY and since he did Ken's voice in WK this is almost a weird cross-over in and of itself. Ah, seiyuu humor, I never used to enjoy it, but now that Weiss got my entire family hooked on watching virtually *all* of our anime DVD's in the original Japanese, I can't resist it!

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 34 & 35 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to the incredibly wonderful readers who have given this fic a more resounding response at fanfiction.net than this humble llama could have ever have hoped to receive! There is currently an absolutely amazing and stupendous ~+~ 213 ~+~ reviews there and all I can say is "Wow! Thank you all so very, very much!"

{bows deeply, filled with gratitude, yet the motion subjects the llama to too much cold and he hurries to add a bit more then get this posted before going in search of warmth and sleep before the heater installation crisis of the early morning arrives}

In case anyone out there doesn't think that reviews or notes of comment truly matter to a writer like myself, please consider the following: 

[1] First and foremost, without such fabulous reader support, I might have given in to all the painful angst in my Real Life and given up on not only *this* fic but several others I wanted to write and gone off to hide for who knows how long? Yeah, that sounds lame, but it's true. You, the readers, as well as my own chibis and a few exceptionally close friends who are aware of my addiction to fanfiction even know I do this all hours of the night, and without continued encouragement, it might've been easier to stop altogether for awhile. As it is, though, I kept going even though it was quietly and off-line, so here I am again, trying to make you smile. Did it work?

[2] Also, without all the wonderful comments, I wouldn't have been sure whether or not to include my OC's as much as I have and if I hadn't, poor Nagi would've been stuck eating hospital food again. Worse, without Norwegian, Javanese, and Korat, there might've been another negligent Tokyo General nurse sent to Kenken's room and heaven only knows what might've happened then! 

[3] The original scheme for this story had only one major Schwarz moment in it which was Nagi's departure. Since there was such strong support for more scenes involving them, we saw the moment with Brad and Schu arguing and then cuddling in bed and doing a bit of psychic "dream hunting" for Nagi. They will be back before too awfully long, though, in part due to there being more requests for them lately and also since I'm developing a growing fondness for them in this continuity myself, something that usually leads to lemon sooner or later.

[4] Last but not least, there's one other OC that has gotten more foreshadowing thrown in than planned as well as a greater role in any number of very quiet on-going debates thanks to comments received, and that is none other than that little Scottish bastard, Calico. So far, he's moved from the background character he had been initially envisioned as having in the first versions of this plotline all the way up to the Master of Evil Level, all thanks to support from readers like you! His true moment of glory won't come for quite awhile, though, mores the pity, but I hope that his return here later in the storyline pleases his first priestess, DragonSoul, as well as all others who enjoy a truly demented yet three-dimensional villain. Not that you will be thrilled with what he does or to whom he does it, but such is the place of evil amongst good, to stir the blood and cause a reaction that helps to further the plot towards a dramatic and ultimately satisfying conclusion. 

{stops preaching to the choir and thanks everyone one last time before fading into the freezing cold of his home wondering what on Earth to do to cover the sudden expenses he can't turn from if he intends to keep his lovely children warm and healthy which he *will* do no matter what!}

Anyway, to the fabulous people responsible for all those great notes at fanfiction.net, a very large thank you and a sincere promise that even if there's another glitch or two in the posting runs, this fic WILL be completed soon if at all possible! I've never started a story as ambitious as this one has turned out to be only to turn around and abandon it, so rest assured that if you continue to feed my muses such sweet ambrosia as they've received so far, they will work even harder to entertain you. 

Now, I hopefully leave you with a smile and a somewhat happier heart for the bishounen at Tokyo General Hospital. Despite the angst not being over, as it was so well put by darling e.e there, at least right now, it's "happier angst" and isn't that a rare thing to find these days?

Sayonara!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who plans to get chibi-Lauren a nice treat someday soon in recognition for a well placed Kleenex warning! if Part 33 brought kind Watarou and others to tears, it was good to have included it. besides, Melpomene and Erato love causing happy tears as well as sad ones and they are both happier muses tonight because of it all)

Posted 06 March 2002, ~4:00am.


	36. A New Face and a Reassuring Visit

Greetings and welcome back to Angst Theatre's debut performance of "Cold November Rain." 

My sincerest apologies for the interruption in posting runs, but after writing a check too large for anything less than a car on Wednesday, my internal systems blew a fuse and I ended up out of the action violently ill all day Thursday with a migraine and recovering on Friday. On the flip side, however, my house is now warm both upstairs and down so I guess it was worth it. 

{looks uncertain then shrugs helplessly and stops right there, preferring to simply go grab the tuxedo Vicious says he wants back for a "hot date" with Gren as soon as this story is done being posted, lights the marquee, then hands you a playbill with a tired, rueful smile}

Tonight's performance of "Cold November Rain" opens with Part 36 which introduces a new performer as well as allowing some dear friends to finally reunite and discover that deep affection means more than shallow fear. The second portion of our program includes a scene which might have been labeled "Christmas Comes Early to Tokyo General Hospital" if this was a more light-hearted fic as Norwegian unveils a priceless gift no one expected yet everyone will be grateful for. 

{looks a bit disappointed that the playbill summaries leave so much out, there's plenty more going on in both Parts, but these are supposed to be only a sentence long, so you'll just have to be surprised by some of the other stuff like usual, ne?}

Please note that the instant gratification flags are flying as they most likely will throughout the conclusion of this story, the muses are trying to fit a lot into each Part now. Also, be advised that the disclaimer has changed to reflect that the much loved OCs are indeed mine and mine alone so if anyone wishes to "borrow" them for anything, please ask me first. Not to say that anyone will, but I'd take it rather badly if I opened a fic by someone else and found oh, say, Norwegian and Calico in a relationship that simply doesn't fit them, you know?

{squicks self with *that* image! whether it's a paternal relationship or one of a more hentai nature, *neither* will be allowed here under *any* circumstances and then signs-off}

Enjoy the Marginally Decreased Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who meant to explain to his friends at fanfiction.net that these intro notes are what were always included for the MLs receiving this story but after several people indicated that they liked the "insider's view" of life at the Casa de Llama that frequently snuck into to them the decision was made to simply leave them attached for your enjoyment, too! if, on the other hand, you'd rather just get straight to the story, go right ahead and skip down to the "tilde parade" immediately above the title and Part number and enjoy the Angst without distraction, okay?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 36/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 0145-0215 hours ++

*****

When the four assassins arrived at the intensive care unit, they were cheerfully greeted by Javanese and yet another new face, a seemingly young Japanese man that the Kritiker nurse introduced as Tokyo General's brightest newly licensed nurse practitioner. 

Nurse Okazaki smiled shyly, something none of them expected from the 30-something, 5' 6" man. A brief discussion revealed the humble yet talented nurse was from a small fishing village hundreds of kilometers away, a place as far removed from Tokyo culturally speaking as anyone could imagine. He'd been a nurse in his hometown for eight years before accepting a position with Tokyo General Hospital that took him far from family and friends yet gave him a chance to complete his studies to become even more skilled in his chosen profession. The relatively short man insisted that they call him simply "Hideo" and he seemed much younger than he truly was when he spoke with enthusiasm about his delight at having the rare opportunity to work alongside the Kritiker Medical Center personnel.

Javanese seemed pleased to have found a "fan" unexpectedly, yet she was more impressed with the man's abilities and focus when his skills were truly needed. The Kritiker nurse had done a quick check of the man's background and performance records since she wasn't willing to tolerate a negligent failure like Takeshi coming anywhere near her patient.

While Yohji and Omi talked to Okazaki with Javanese adding comments from time to time regarding new information from lab reports, Aya noticed Nagi was sneaking surreptitious glances towards the room where Ken lay, a worried expression on his face. Moving ever so slightly to stand a little closer to the worried telekinetic, the scarlet-haired man deliberately caught and held nervous midnight blue eyes and then he whispered softly, "Are you sure you want to be here, Nagi?" Noting a look of uncertainty in the boy's face, he added reassuringly, "No one would think less of you if you'd rather wait to see Ken after his condition improved and he's been moved to a regular patient's suite."

Shaking his head slightly and keeping their conversation as private as they both wanted it to be, Nagi answered, "I don't know, Aya-kun. I think Omi needs me to be here, but I can't stop thinking about what happened before."

Allowing the unnamed emotions the diminutive psychic brought forth in him to rule his actions as well as his words, the violet-eyed man reached out to place a reassuring hand on the younger assassin's shoulder. Certain he had the boy's full attention, he stated confidently, "More than anyone else, Omi doesn't want to see you uncomfortable or unhappy, Nagi." Seeing a look of understanding and agreement, he added, "Also, I don't say things that I don't mean. If you prefer to wait to see Ken then you should do so. It's not worth it to make yourself miserable or risk passing out again."

Slightly confused despite feeling much better about things, Nagi cocked his head and peered up at the slender man whose skin was as pale as his own and he asked quietly, "Why are you so concerned about me, Aya-kun? Not that I don't appreciate it, I do, a lot! But I never got the feeling you were usually this involved in other people's situations."

Unsure himself, the older of the two shook his head ruefully and admitted the simple truth, "I really don't know, Nagi. You're right, I usually try to stay out of things like this, but you remind me of something or someone and it only seems right to try to help."

The smaller of the two nodded thoughtfully then looked back up and smiled slightly before thanking him for his concern, "I'm glad you're helping me, Aya-kun. Ever since that talk we had in the waiting room about how I needed to avoid the 'what if?' scenarios going through my head, I've felt better about things." Nagi glanced away briefly as a few things he frankly did *not* feel better about ran through his mind before they were ruthlessly halted, a flicker of pain that did not go unnoticed by the elder of the pair, then he looked back with resolution in deep blue eyes. "I think that I *will* go to see Ken-kun after all, Aya-kun. I know it would make Omi happy but now that I think about it, I need to not 'what if' myself over this issue either. If there's even a remote chance that being aware on some level that I'm here will help Ken-kun to get better then I want to let him know that I'm not only here but that I care, too."

A slight smile of congratulations toyed with Aya's lips and he answered, "I'm glad to hear it, Nagi. As long as those are your reasons for wanting to go ahead and see him, then you should do so by all means." Even as he saw a small smile growing on the boy's face he added with unexpected warmth, "But Yohji and I will be close by if either of you need us this time. Anything goes wrong, you call for us and we'll be there immediately, all right?"

The smile that had been trying to find an outlet on Nagi's lips burst into a small but radiant display of relief as the sable-haired teen nodded his thanks and said simply, "I will, Aya-kun." After bowing his head in formal thanks for the promise of support, the midnight blue-eyed boy refocused on the conversation that had swirled on without them, the other four people in the room totally unaware of the brief yet heartfelt discussion between former enemies.

Yohji had just finished going over some minor improvements in his injured lover's condition with the two medical professionals when he saw Omi fidgeting and glancing at Ken's room. With an understanding smile he asked, "Omiitchi? Did you want to go ahead and see Ken now? You and Nagi can see him whenever you like now, there's no restrictions or set visiting hours and shit like that so y--"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Javanese interrupted firmly, wagging her finger at the wire-wielding assassin as if he was a child who had claimed eating chocolate cake for dinner was acceptable. "That's not quite true, Balinese! You four have special privileges but they don't include overtaxing *my* patient! As long as Siberian continues to recover as well as he is now, you have semi-unlimited visitation, but the minute we think *he* needs more sleep or that *you* have a similar need, visiting hours will be over until further notice, understand?"

The lanky blond chuckled and mock-saluted before answering, "Yes, ma'am!" In a gentler voice he added, "Whatever you think is best is fine by me, Javanese. I trust you, Korat, and Norwegian to handle this with Siberian's best interests in mind. But if it's okay, can these two go ahead and see him now? I think they're a bit anxious after what happened last time they were here." Jade eyes tracked over to where Omi continued to peer at Ken's room and then turned to Nagi who quietly awaited the decision of the nurse in charge.

With a gentle smile, Javanese reached out to tap Omi on the shoulder to get his attention and the Weiss archer actually jumped slightly at the contact. Deliberately forcing the desire to giggle at the cute expression of dismay on the teen's face after being caught so badly distracted from her mind, the Kritiker nurse asked, "Bombay? Would you and your companion like to go ahead and see Siberian now? I can go in with you or Hideo can accompany you." Her smile didn't dampen as she added by way of reassurance in the form of an explanation, "I hope you don't mind being 'chaperoned' while you visit him, but I think you can appreciate that particular rule of the ICU even better now than before, right?"

"Oh, absolutely!" The seventeen year old nodded and then looked at his boyfriend and asked, "Nagi? Are you sure you want to go see Ken-kun with me? You don't have to, love, if you don't wa--" his words were interrupted by a confident nod of his partner's head and Omi calmed a bit and added with a warm smile of appreciation for Nagi's trust, "Thanks. This means a lot to me, love."

"I want to see him, too," Nagi explained, reddening a little as he registered the small blush that colored Okazaki's cheeks at the open admission of a same-sex relationship. With a firm expression in place, he requested, "Javanese? Might you accompany us? I don't really know you well yet, but I know that O--, I mean, Bombay knows and trusts you and that is all that I need to know, too." 

The way code-names and given names had been bandied about seemingly at random had left the Schwarz telekinetic confused, but he correctly assumed that to the Kritiker nurse Omi wasn't "Omi" at the moment. To Javanese, the blond youth that had stolen Nagi's heart was first and foremost the Weiss archer called "Bombay" whenever a situation like this which focused on his role as an assassin was going on and he'd try to remember that. To the staff of Tokyo General, however, they were all merely variations on the theme of their given names and this, too, he'd try to remember.

The woman smiled warmly at him, glad to have gotten such a broad-ranging acceptance from the obviously inherently distrustful boy so early on. She didn't know about Nagi's tragic past--no one other than his own teammates, Estet, and his boyfriend *did*--so she simply treasured the confidence as she did those given her by many others without realizing it was a much greater gift of trust that the telekinetic was offering her. 

Without hesitation, Javanese answered, "I'd be delighted to, Nagi! He's so much better now than he was when I first arrived with Manx, I think you'll be surprised. Let's go!" With a happy wave of her hand, she led the way to the room where the chocolate-eyed teen rested and she mentioned, "We believe he's only sleeping now, not unconscious at all, but you should still feel free to talk to him. Let him know you're here. Even if he's dreaming and doesn't answer, he'll hear you, all right?"

"I'll be glad to!" Omi stated sincerely. At one point the cerulean-eyed teen had planned out what he wanted to say the first time he spoke to his teammate after Ken awoke hoping to apologize for his various mistakes and shortcomings, yet right now he couldn't think of a thing to say. Reaching out to draw Nagi's suddenly cold hand into his own, he followed the nurse into the small room reassured more than he thought possible after only his first glimpse of the recovering man.

Keeping close watch on his own reactions to insure that he got out of the room if he felt even a bit queasy, Nagi trailed along behind his boyfriend glad to know that Aya and Yohji were nearby. He hoped he wouldn't have to cry out for back-up or anything, but he would rather do that than to endanger the sleeping man on the bed again, he truly hadn't forgiven himself for the earlier incident.

While Javanese kept a close yet non-invasive watch over the two teens, Omi and Nagi both immediately noticed the striking change in their injured friend's skin-tone and the ease of his breathing. The full warmth of Ken's usual suntanned complexion hadn't been restored yet, of course, but to see more of a healthy color in his cheeks made a huge difference. The other thing that was apparent was the fact that despite the respirator remaining in use it seemed as if the injured man was able to inhale more deeply now which enhanced the impression of true sleep as opposed to the unconsciousness he'd displayed earlier. 

The two teens didn't know it, of course, but the improvement in respiration was a significant advance in recovery, too. It indicated that the punctured lung was regaining function and that would shortly lead to the elimination of the respirator mask in favor of simple oxygen tubes that wouldn't interfere with his speech or be half as uncomfortable when he was awake.

Even as he noted the way Ken was breathing more easily, Nagi studiously avoided looking at the chest tubes which were more concealed now than before and tried to block the sound of the suction device that was now hidden beneath the bed. Midnight blue eyes came to rest unhappily on the large mound of bandages that enwrapped the horribly torn right thigh muscles then crept up to the bulky cast on the arm which had suffered the compound fracture. He wondered in the back of his mind how much worse that must hurt than a simple fracture, then he recalled the mention of various pins and screws being used to hold the bone together as it knit. Surprised and somewhat delighted that these thoughts weren't making him queasy or light-headed, Nagi allowed himself a small smile as he watched Omi approach his friend to talk to him again.

After nervously licking his lips and glancing at his boyfriend for emotional support which he received, the cerulean-eyed boy greeted his injured and presumably sleeping teammate, saying as brightly as he could, "Hi, Ken-kun! I came to see you again. Are you feeling better? I sure hope so." The lack of an answer didn't stop Omi since he wasn't expecting one. 

The blond youth made sure to keep glancing at the sable-haired boy to see to it that he wasn't becoming pale. When he saw that everything was fine so far, Omi refocused his attention on the brunette, commenting, "Aya-kun and Yohji-kun told us you woke up earlier and that was great news! Your color is so much better, too, you're not all pale and everything any more." After yet another quick confirmation that his boyfriend was handling the situation well, he added brightly, "Oh, and guess what! Nagi's here to see you again, too." Looking at his partner with a hopeful expression, Omi indicated with a nod of his head that perhaps this was a good time for the telekinetic to add a few words.

Swallowing nervously yet pleased he was doing as well as he was, Nagi approached Ken's side and said shyly, "Hello, Ken-kun. Um, I hope you don't mind that I'm here, but I wanted to let you know that I was worried about you, too. I hope you'll get well soon?" The questioning tone was directed at his boyfriend since the telekinetic never claimed to have much of an idea of what to say in a situation like this. 

Unnoticed as midnight blue eyes searched cerulean ones for approval, chocolate brown eyes slowly opened a fraction as Ken rose to the surface of sleep in response to hearing the adored voices of two very special friends. Peering sleepily through a screen of wispy dark brown lashes, the nineteen year old watched as Omi gave Nagi a quick hug of encouragement and said, "That's great, love. I'm sure it will help."

Nagi's classic shy smile was in place as he snuck a glance at Javanese who was studiously ignoring their embrace so as not to interfere with their mutual support which she heartily approved of. At the same moment, Omi did a bit of sneaking of his own and darted in to place a quick kiss on the younger teen's cheek with an expression of pure adoration on his face.

Observing all of this through the haze of drugs and exhaustion, Ken hadn't really intended to speak his thoughts aloud, yet a soft exhalation escaped his lips in the form of a single word which didn't go unheard despite being muffled by the mask over his nose and mouth, "kawaii."

Even though he was in the midst of enjoying watching as Nagi's cheeks flushed pink after being kissed, the Weiss archer heard the well-loved voice and spun quickly, exclaiming, "Ken-kun!! You're awake!!" Delight and happiness added themselves to the tapestry of emotions on the genki assassin's face and Omi's joy was magnified further when he saw Yohji standing near the open door to Ken's room beaming happily at the three teens.

A little shocked and even more uncertain of what to do or say, Nagi simply stood there and allowed the Kritiker nurse to move past him to remove the respirator mask so they could speak together. Javanese stayed close by but didn't interfere as Omi rushed back over to clutch Ken's unencumbered hand in both of his own before speaking briefly with his injured teammate. 

The conversation was decidedly one-sided with Ken speaking one word for every ten of Omi's, but it seemed to make them both feel better. After barely a minute or two, though, it was clear that the brunette was tiring again and after he answered a couple of questions from Javanese, it was obvious he needed to be allowed to rest more.

An exhausted yet apologetic expression on his face, the injured man yawned and looked past his teammate as well as the nurse and said in a voice like a dry wind on a hot summer's day, "nagi? i'm glad that you came, too." Chocolate eyes were slipping shut as he added tiredly, "take care 'f omi f'r me?"

Finally being given a reason to say something that made sense to him, the Schwarz psychic nodded firmly and assured confidently, "I'd be glad to, Ken-kun. Please rest now and we'll see you later, okay?"

"'kay," the brunette yawned and let his eyes slip shut fully once more, transitioning back into a deep sleep almost immediately.

Dazzling smile in place and totally ignoring those who were watching, Omi gleefully wrapped both arms around his chosen love and hugged his boyfriend so fiercely that it almost hurt the smaller of the two to be held so tightly. Not complaining in the least, though, Nagi returned the wordless exclamation of relief and joy that he, too, felt after seeing how much improved the claw-wielding Weiss member truly was.

A quiet cough preceded Javanese's statement, "Excuse me, but I need to put the respirator mask back in place. Could you move a little, please?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Omi answered with a small look of chagrin, but even that didn't last long as he moved to take one of his partner's hands in his own and led Nagi out of the small room and straight into the warm presence of the two eldest members of Weiss.

Despite not having said a word the entire time the teens had been visiting his lover, Aya had listened and taken note of all that had transpired and he felt more pleased than he thought he probably should with the way the two had conducted themselves. Omi's exclamations of delight had clearly given the brunette a great deal of happiness considering the situation. As for Nagi, the simple fact that he made it through the experience without difficulty might have been enough to satisfy the violet-eyed man. But to know that Ken not only took note of the telekinetic's presence but even went so far as to make his own effort to include the youth they all felt so fondly about had made the moment even better. 

The unusual feeling of hopefulness Yohji had made such an effort to instill inside the scarlet-haired man's heart was growing slowly and steadily now.

Reflecting on his own actions on the smoking porch with the lanky blond, Aya felt the hope becoming even stronger. He'd never taken the lead in anything of a romantic nature before out of an unfounded fear of rejection by either member of the previously established couple. A vague thought occurred to him that perhaps he might some day find the strength to take that a step further and go so far as to request the dominant position in a lovemaking session with the elder of his two lovers. Surprised that particular thought had even occurred to him at all, the Weiss swordsman blinked violet eyes in dismay, mentally reprimanded himself for not staying focused, and resumed paying attention to events around him.

Soon the four assassins bid the two nurses farewell for a time so they could go to the cafeteria in search of what amounted to their breakfasts, an option they weren't too thrilled with after being spoiled by Sokoke's delicious lunch they all had enjoyed so much. The two blondes chattered away as they walked, discussing plans for this or that and nothing in particular leaving the two quieter souls to walk along behind them somewhat lost in thought.

Feelings of gladness that Ken had spoken to them both were intermixed in Nagi's thoughts with on-going worries pertaining to the more serious of the man's injuries. He'd been shocked that the brunette even recognized him at first, the sable-haired boy had thought his friend would be too groggy to pick out anyone other than his teammates. Below these surface concerns, though, ran a thread of ominous fear that dipped in and out of his awareness, a terrifying thing constituted of a single image from the nightmare he'd awakened from not so long ago. 

As if a screenshot from a movie, Nagi's mental image was that of an anguished gore-spattered Schuldich angrily screaming in the face of an orange-haired man who was waving a blood-drenched, razor-tipped cat-o'-nine-tails in his face with a look of unholy glee. Each time the split-second of memory rose close enough to the surface for the disturbed youth to reach out mentally and grab it, however, it would dive back down, tantalizing him with its undisclosed terror much like a legendary sea-monster offering death to the unwary.

Outside, the rain remained at bay and most of the residents of the city of Tokyo slept through a night that had given a group of four unique young men hope for the future. Of course, the rain would return sooner or later as it always did but whether or not it brought more sorrow or only natural rejuvenation only time would tell.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 36 & 37 will be posted together. 


	37. Norwegian's Unexpected Gift

Title: Cold November Rain [part 37/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 0700-0745 hours ++

*****

When Manx rejoined the young men she had sworn to protect during a difficult period, the hours of predawn darkness had already rolled past quite easily for everyone involved in the on-going drama revolving around a certain brown-eyed brunette at Tokyo General Hospital. 

After Ken's second period of awareness and coherency in a relatively short amount of time, it was agreed upon that it would be best if any visitors to his room in the intensive care unit remained silent and simply watchful so that he could sleep. Needless to say, the four young men most concerned with his welfare had agreed wholeheartedly. 

Aya and Yohji eventually spent several extended visits there, merely rubbing warmth into cool skin and leaving after placing tender kisses to the injured dreamer's forehead or cheek. The younger couple had been equally quiet during their visits, preferring to either sit near Ken silently praying the way the blond did or even to simply stand watch over him in peace the way that Nagi did.

Shortly after dawn scorched flames of red across a partly cloudy sky, Manx had arrived with not only a smile regarding the improvements she'd been made aware of during the night, but also with a roly-poly physician who brought a truly wondrous surprise in a strange package. [1] 

Striding into the intensive care unit with a small cooler like one that might contain a snack for a hungry schoolchild in his hand, Norwegian exuded delight and confidence as he was introduced to Okazaki and received some of the same hero-worship that Javanese had experienced earlier. 

The nurse practitioner kept his words of praise for the Kritiker Medical Center's renowned medical personnel brief, however, since he knew how important it was for the physician to review his patient's case with Javanese. Using an offer to go and "sit with the patient" as an excuse to allow the other three some privacy, the petite oriental man quickly left the desk area the others had gravitated towards. 

Flashing the man a smile as he departed, Javanese remarked with a small sigh of amazement, "Isn't he precious? Since he came on duty six hours ago, it's just been go, go, go, for Hideo!" She chuckled and shook her head before adding more seriously, "We really *ought* to try to recruit him for the KMC staff, doctor. I haven't seen such a strong work ethic in a long time and his dedication to his patients is phenomenal!"

Chortling softly as he carefully placed the cooler he had been carrying onto a safe spot on the desk, the man asked with amusement, "Are you working as a recruiter for the personnel department now, my dear Javanese?"

The woman's eyes flashed with mirth of her own as she shook her head and then shrugged, "No, I just thought I'd mention it. You never know when you might need to add a new member to your team, Norwegian."

"Hmm," the man frowned as he considered the fact that only the loss of one of the people he already trusted implicitly could cause the need for him to select a new person to work on his most crucial cases. He correctly believed that neither Javanese nor Korat would chose to leave for any reason other than their own debilitating injury or death. It struck him such an occurrence would be far more than simply a regrettable professional loss, it would feel like losing a child at this point, he adored them so. Shaking off the dark thoughts and returning his customary warm smile to his lips, he turned towards the bank of monitors above Ken's room and commented, "I see Siberian's vital signs are all much stronger now. That's a relief, wouldn't you say, Manx?"

The redhead had been standing somewhat to the side, merely observing the recovering man for herself and confirming the signs of improvement the others had already told her about, leaving her feeling even better about her decision the previous morning to bring in Norwegian's team. 

With a smile of her own, Manx brushed a red curl from her shoulder and turned towards the desk, saying, "Yes it is, doctor. To know he awoke during the night and spoke with his teammates is even *more* reassuring to me, though. But speaking of the other members of Weiss," she paused since it occurred to her that even though that seemed to already cover the four young men she was thinking about but suddenly realized that it didn't, then added, "um, and *Nagi*, of course, where are they, Javanese?" 

The Kritiker nurse smiled and glanced at her watch before answering, "Balinese was complaining that he was 'dying for a cigarette' and I think Abyssinian went with him. As for Bombay and his companion, well, they went to get Hideo and me some tea from the cafeteria and I expect them back any minute now." She shrugged slightly and was about to add a comment when the sound of a door opening and light yet quiet alto laughter reached their ears. With a smirk, the nurse added, "Speak of the devils."

Those gathered by the desk glanced over at the door and saw the four assassins returning as if on cue. The two blondes were leading the way, the sable-haired youth lagged slightly behind them carrying something, and the scarlet-haired man was walking behind them all protectively as if to insure nothing went amiss for any of those he cared for.

Having just finished a slightly racy joke that had left Omi giggling, Yohji sauntered towards those assembled by the intensive care unit's administrative desk with a smile as he welcomed the new arrivals, "Good morning, Manx! You look lovely as always today!" With a saucy wink that caused the blue-green-eyed woman to chuckle, he turned towards the doctor and added more respectfully, "I'm glad you're back, Norwegian. I take it they've told you all about Kenken's fantastic recovery?"

The older man smiled warmly in return and greeted them with a nod of his head as he answered, "Good morning to you, too, Balinese! Yes, I've been reviewing his case and there has indeed been some significant progress, but there's always room for improvement, you know." He patted the little cooler on the desk fondly and the cheerful glint of a secret sparkled in his eyes even as he watched Nagi wordlessly set the two cups of tea he was carrying on the desk for the nurses who had been on duty all night. 

"What do you mean, Norwegian?" Aya asked, the desire to see his chocolate-eyed lover returned to health outweighing his preference to remain silent when his eloquent jade-eyed lover usually did most of the talking for them both. When Yohji flashed the violet-eyed man a warm glance of encouragement the gesture did not go unnoticed by several observers who were aware of the tension that had existed between the two men earlier in the crisis.

Foregoing the desire to comment that he thought it was good to see the eldest members of Weiss were apparently getting along together better again, Norwegian answered, "I have brought with me the product of years of research by various scientists at Kritiker Research Labs, Abyssinian." 

Moving to open the cooler in search of the wondrous gift he had brought to bestow upon a young man who truly needed whatever aid he could offer, he carefully unpacked almost a dozen amber ampoules as he explained, "There's been a huge effort among neurologists to develop a variety of drugs to assist in nerve regeneration over the last few decades. Some of the earliest compounds identified were fine for simple things like limb reattachment or even burn therapy, yet ones that could work on the spinal column itself were more difficult to find and those they *did* identify were often virtually impossible to produce enough of for use in adults."

The importance of his words wasn't lost on any of those listening and it was all that Omi could do not to become overly excited when the portly physician held an ampoule aloft and showed them the crystals within it which shone like stars on a snowy late December night. With a proud smile, he continued, "However, one of our research teams finally had success and what I've brought with me is the fruit of that work. This is KNT-0201, an extract based on a thermophilic microbe cultured from a hot spring in Nagasaki prefecture on Kyushu which is renowned for its almost mystical healing properties." [2] & [3] 

Before anyone could react the Kritiker physician added, "I intend to begin giving Siberian injections of the new drug this morning and I will personally monitor his progress. Based on extensive drug test results, he should experience a full recovery of the spinal injury within a week or two as long as there's no negative reaction to the compound."

Omi was literally trembling with excitement as he heard the news getting better and better, but as soon as he heard the final caveat, he froze and asked in a hushed voice, "What *kind* of 'negative reaction' could Ken have to that stuff, doctor?" He shook his head warily and explained, "I've heard a few horror stories about people in clinical studies of new drugs, could it hurt him worse than he is now?" 

A sad smile on his face, Norwegian nodded but cautioned gently, "That's very true, but this isn't a 'clinical study', Bombay. KNT-0201 is already in advanced drug trials and has a very low risk of side-effects. The ones that are most common are unimportant and include mild, temporary vision problems but there have been several instances of severe responses that resulted in patient's deaths." Seeing a look of fear on the young blonde's face, he added confidently, "Keep in mind that was only a few people out of thousands and it is my considered opinion that the benefits far outweigh the risks."

Face dark with concern of his own and more than a little possessiveness, Yohji interrupted to ask pointedly, "Don't you think that Abyssinian and I ought to have a say in this, doctor, not to mention Siberian himself? Is there such a great rush to begin treatment that we can't have a more *private* discussion of how best to proceed if there's a known risk like that involved?" 

Norwegian reacted as if struck and blinked in shock for a moment. Then he realized he'd been so excited about the chance to help the injured man who slept peacefully unaware of the discussion that could drastically effect his life that he'd skipped over the part where he should've said he did indeed intend to discuss this option with Ken before beginning treatment. 

Shaking his head apologetically, the older man answered, "You are quite right, Balinese. My apologies to you and Abyssinian, both. Of course I intended to speak with Siberian about this at length but not until *after* I had the chance to explain to him the extent of his injuries, something he might have some trouble accepting at first as it is." Seeing forgiveness in both jade and violet eyes, he added thoughtfully, "Then again, he's seen you two as well as Bombay through some fairly traumatic injuries in the past, perhaps it won't seem so unexpected."

All those around him nodded to one extent or another before the conversation was picked up by an unexpected speaker. Somewhat nervous and shy, Nagi asked, "Forgive me if I have a limited understanding of human physiology, Norwegian, but can the new drug do anything to help with the kidney injury? You said it was a regeneration drug and I just wondered."

Taking the time to look at the young telekinetic and feeling relieved that he seemed much stronger than he had been the day before, Norwegian shook his head and answered regretfully, "I'm sorry, Nagi, but no, it won't help with that. KNT-0201 effects the nervous system but the kidney damage involves mostly blood vessels and muscle tissue, it would take an entirely different form of treatment to help that." Seeing the Schwarz psychic's frown of disappointment, he rushed to add, "However, there's a far greater likelihood of the renal system regenerating itself than the spinal column, so given a choice for a possible miracle cure for either of those injuries, this is the one I'd chose."

Trying to look satisfied despite his on-going concern about the kidney damage due in great part to his own painful personal background with his school friend, the sable-haired boy nodded his head slowly and answered quietly, "All right, doctor. Like I said, I don't know half as much about all of this as everyone else seems to, I guess I just hoped for too much." Crestfallen, he turned his head away intending to keep his mouth shut instead of saying something else foolish.

An expression of concern for his boyfriend was clear on Omi's face yet once again it was the scarlet-haired man who made the difference for the diminutive telekinetic. Moving one long-fingered hand slightly to catch the unhappy youth's attention, Aya made a motion with his head that silently expressed reassurance and that whatever Nagi had felt or desired on behalf of Ken was appreciated by the violet-eyed man if by no one else.

Startled slightly, Nagi gazed back at Aya and wondered when he'd done something right with his misbegotten life to have deserved such friends as this man whose trust was infrequently given and his affection was even more rarely shared. Before he could answer, though, a warm and loving pair of hands enfolded one of his own and the now familiar encouragement was offered to him by a voice he cherished more than life itself. 

Quietly enough that it seemed private and intimate despite the fact that everyone standing nearby could hear it, Omi asserted confidently, "Ganbatte, Nagi-love." Inquiring midnight blue eyes turned towards him and with a gentle smile, the blond explained, "It's okay to want the best for those you care about, remember? We all want to see Ken-kun get well and I'm glad you care enough to ask a question like that in the first place."

Temporarily lost in cerulean depths that reminded Nagi of pictures he'd seen of Caribbean waters on a summer's day, the telekinetic nodded slowly and answered in a soft, almost shy voice that held a love that no one present would question, "Ganbatte, Omi-koi. I'll remember to have faith."

"Thank you," the younger of the Weiss blondes smiled warmly at him even as they were joined by the elder one.

Putting his hands on both teens' shoulders, Yohji said affectionately, "Thank you, both, bishounen. You two have done quite a lot for Ken already and we appreciate it, don't we, Aya?" 

The scarlet-haired man nodded and remained where he stood, carefully keeping watch over not only the small group by the desk but the brunette in the room not so far away as he answered, "Of course. More than they know, probably." Failing to explain his cryptic remark, he merely stopped speaking and regarded the elder of his two lovers with a challenging expression before going back to looking through the glass walls at Ken who seemed to be waking up somewhat.

Uncertain what Aya's comment meant yet certain it wasn't anything dire for a change, Yohji changed the subject. Giving the boys' shoulders a gentle squeeze, he commented, "Well, all that aside, unless Norwegian or Manx needs all of us here right now, why don't you two go back over to the Hilton and grab a shower and some fresh clothes? That way you can keep Kenken company later if Aya or me want to do the same, okay?"

Confused only slightly by the strange silent conversation swirling between his teammates, Omi smiled more cheerfully and accepted the offer since he himself had suggested it earlier after noticing how wrinkled his clothes were after sleeping in them all night. "That sounds like a good idea to me, Yohji-kun." Turning to his partner he asked, "Nagi? Want to go do that now? We might even be able to get some breakfast at the restaurant over there, the stuff we had in the cafeteria last night didn't taste very good to me."

Deciding not to worry about what was going on with Aya and Yohji as well as seeing a convenient excuse to put off the discussion he correctly assumed Norwegian wanted to have with him about his own health, the sable-haired boy nodded and said, "I'd like that a lot, Omi. I have to agree about the food, though." He sighed wistfully and added, "But if Sokoke is bringing more miso soup like you said she might, maybe I should only have a little breakfast, I'd like to save room for that."

"Nonsense, you need to eat more anyway, Nagi-love," Omi chided gently, then added with greater strength, "Manx? Did you need us for anything right now or can we talk more later?" The Weiss archer knew that Norwegian wasn't the only one who wanted a chat with not only his boyfriend but also himself and he hoped she'd give them a few hours to themselves before some of that angst occurred.

Manx frowned slightly and was about to say she wanted them to stay but a firm hand touched her arm lightly. She glanced at Norwegian who was indicating that she ought to let them leave since they needed to talk to the elder members of Weiss as soon as possible regarding the use of KNT-0201. With a small shrug, the redhead accepted his command and glanced at her watch before asking, "When do you expect to be back, Bombay?"

Relieved, Omi asked hopefully, "Can we have a couple of hours, Manx? It would be nice not to have to rush, but if you need us sooner, we can try." He glanced at his partner and saw an expression of agreement, Nagi felt grungy after going so long without a shower, Crawford's insistence on an almost unrealistic level of personal hygiene had become habit and going 24 hours between showers seemed unacceptable. 

Catching the minute nod from the doctor standing next to her, the Kritiker agent agreed, "All right, Bombay. You and Nagi have until, oh, say, 10am to return?"

Beaming brightly, the genki teen agreed wholeheartedly. Even as he saw his boyfriend looking pleased that they'd have time to get clean as well as get something to eat, Omi responded, "Sure thing, Manx! We can be back by then, no problem! But if anything should change, call the hotel, we'll stop by the suite again after breakfast to double-check for messages, all right?"

"That'll be fine. Go on, you two! Go get cleaned up," the woman answered, finally relaxing a little and then chuckling as Omi and Nagi started to walk away hand-in-hand without even realizing it. With a sigh she hadn't realized she'd made, Manx turned to see the two elder assassins gazing at one another, lost in yet another of their private unspoken conversations. With an unladylike snort of annoyance, she remarked, "I thought only Schwarz had assassins who could read each others minds. Or are you two 'talking' some other way?"

Smirking, Yohji answered for them both since Aya had turned to watch Okazaki as he checked one of Ken's IV bags to see if it needed to be replaced, "Hell, Manx, you ought to know by now that we men speak in ways you women aren't *supposed* to understand!" With a broader, more honest smile he added, "For instance, just now, Aya 'told' me that Kenken's waking up and he wants to go check on him. Am I right, Abyssinian?"

"Aren't you always, Balinese?" the violet-eyed man answered with acidic sarcasm that somehow still sounded fond in the bizarre fashion these two alone could achieve. Then Aya regarded Manx and Norwegian both with a slight bow of the head before walking over to Ken's room to watch as eyes the color of rich, imported chocolate slowly eased themselves open.

"See? What'd I tell you?" The slender former detective grinned again and wandered over to stand silently beside the elder of his two lovers as the younger one awoke more fully beneath their adoring gazes.

Manx threw her hands into the air and exclaimed in utter annoyance, "Men! They drive me nuts at times!"

"Me too," Javanese remarked as she watched her team-leader move to enter the treatment room with Ken and Okazaki before shrugging, picking up the now lukewarm tea Nagi had brought for her, sipping it and ignoring the world for a moment.

Shaking her head, Manx sat down at the desk, pulled out her cell phone, and checked her messages. If this was how her day was destined to begin, she was completely at a loss to predict how it might end and she wanted to know about any horrible new developments as soon as they occurred if she could. However, simply reacting to events after the fact was all any of them could accomplish and fate intended to add to her burdens just the same by removing one of her support team in a decidedly cruel fashion before the day was out.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Do you happen to know the phrase "Red skies at morning, sailor take warning!"? In case you didn't, this is well-respected nautical lore that is as applicable to Weiss assassins as it is to mariners and portends rough seas before the end of the day; in other words, it's an angst warning for seafarers. On the off-chance that a future reference of a similar type might herald happiness instead of angst, there's a matching phrase which is "Red sky at night, sailor's delight!" Ah, who knew there were so many meteorological conditions a fic writer could invoke to add a touch of foreshadowing when they wanted to do so?

[2] The name given the compound is a very small salute to one of my favorite "re-envisioned" classic anime, "Gatchaman." The code "KNT" reflects the team's Japanese name, Kagaku Ninja Tai and the code is the only yaoi pairing from the show I would endorse, that of Condor Joe and Eagle Ken. In case you still don't know what series I mean, it was released in various butchered English dubs in the US and Canada as "Battle of the Planets", "G-Force", and "Eagle Riders". 

[3] The hot spring implied here is the Unzen Onsen which includes bubbling pools located within the Unzen-Amakusa National Park which is located on the southernmost of the four largest islands of Japan. Also note that "thermophilic" means "heat loving" and is the term for such interesting things as those "worms" you see clustered around heat vents 2 miles down in the ocean as well as other weird places. The compound I've invoked for Ken's "miracle cure", of course, is purely fictional and that's a shame, we could use more nerve regeneration treatments in the Real World.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 36 & 37 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to two amazing new friends of mine that I heard from so recently I haven't even had a chance to write them back yet! Who are they, you ask? Why none other than Rachel (a.k.a. Aeris Tsukiyono) and Beth, of course!

{pulls out the Horn of Friendship and blows a happy tune glad to greet new friends who have gone to quite remarkable lengths to share their experiences with the llama about his fic and in doing so brought the most amazingly huge smile to a tired face that hadn't done that much in the last three painful days} 

Why are these two wonderful ladies being recognized in such a high-profile manner if we're just now barely making each other's acquaintances? Well, as many of you know, my muses and I simply *live* for reassurance that people are reading the stories we work so hard to produce for everyone. So when someone takes the time to sit down and write a long letter about their reactions to the tales we seek to weave for you, it really makes a huge difference and these two marvelous people gave me the inspiration I needed to finally be able to write again tonight. Surprisingly, I got through the rough drafts for two new Parts and as I went, I kept thinking of these ladies and things changed.

{smirks and shows how easily he can be influenced to add or subtract story elements in response to praise}

I added some Schuldich back-story angst I hadn't planned on putting in since Beth indicated she likes him. Whether or not it foreshadows some other pain later, I'm not sure, but what I *do* know is that it allows me to add more depth to his character and the way it went might shock a few people. After all, how many of you think that there is even *one* issue that might push the redhead to do *anything* painful to the sable-haired boy in this continuity? 

{sighs happily since angst is yummy and angst that is unexpected even by the author is even better} 

Then I shifted some Omi-Nagi plans from barely hinted at to something more openly discussed and angsted over as I wrote since it's clear that Rachel likes (Omi + Nagi) *plus* it's a scene she specifically asked for that if I said much more would give it away! 

{winks at Rachel and then chuckles softly and says, "Gomenasai, new friend, but, no, I didn't kill Calico yet. We still need his Lord High Evilness for another story. But you'll like this scene anyway, I guarantee it!"}

So there you have it. Not only am I dedicating a posting run to them, I'm shifting the plot and adding to the web of intrigue I'm building simply to make Beth and Rachel smile! 

Do I do this for other people? You bet, I just rarely stop and mention it. After all, the increased presence of Schwarz is thanks to reader input as is the abundance of Aya-Yohji moments as they struggle to cope with the challenges that face them. I'm also terribly pleased to say that as my muses and I begin to look towards getting started on the "Nagi Goes Home to Schwarz" scene soon, the notes regarding Farf, Schu, and Brad are all being reconsidered and that scene is shifting because of it. See? Write more comments now and help direct that, too, if you want! This is particularly important if you haven't written yet and have something you feel strongly about wanting to see since if I haven't been given a chance to know you want something how can I possibly grant your wish?

{yawns repeatedly, glances at the clock and realizes it's time to send this out and get some rest}

Well, team, thanks for coming by the Angst Theatre again after the unplanned break! I hope you enjoyed the continued upbeat tone of the fic and will trust me that it is *not* past time for the first half of the "Theatre's" name to be changed. There's sorrow yet to be had, but since no one's guessed who's the victim or what it might be, I won't spoil it for you. 

Ciao!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is angry that AOHell ate a letter from a kind reader who asked for locations for llama-fics before he could send an answer. however, he's glad to be able to say that all of the WK ones that are public are at [fanfiction.net] and that there's also a whole slew of GW ones available at [GWAddiction.com] under "fanfiction: Enigma" since his counter at GWA is about to hit the glorious *100,000* and the llama wouldn't have known about it if he hadn't gone to double-check the entrance sequence to the fic archive! please enjoy the angst wherever you read it and feel free to send comments since they--obviously!--mean a great deal to *all* fic writers! {almost stops to list what he thinks is the best G-Boys angst available there and decides not to, the pairings make some of the old stuff unpalatable to the llama yet are still quite popular with the fans so who is he to say?})

Posted 10 March 2002, ~4:30am.


	38. Siberian's Reaction to His Medical Condi...

Greetings and welcome to Angst Theatre wherein we surpass the previous record for size of an Enigma fic for length by Part count as well as storage space on my zip-drive!

{exhaustedly waves a flag that says "'Unconditional Gifts' Now Second Longest Llama-Fic Ever!" then collapses with a smirk before changing into the oh-so-chic tuxedo that only theatre goers get to see and lights the marquee before handing you a playbill with a *very* big smile}

Tonight's performance of "Cold November Rain" opens with Part 38 wherein the magnitude of what has happened to him is explained to Ken by Norwegian and his reaction is certainly not what anyone expected. In Part 39, there are basically two Parts-in-one and can be broken down into the initial phase which leads to a discussion of Norwegian's preliminary assessment of Nagi's health and hints at what might be done about it. The person in question, however, wasn't present at that point but he and his boyfriend are back at the hospital in the second main scene of Part 39 which marks the return of Sokoke who has brought with her a feast for the hearts, souls, and bodies of all those who share it.

{smiles tiredly, then adds a couple of tiny warnings courtesy of my newest "muse" before signing-off so you can go enjoy the monster Parts that included one that almost needed to be cut in *thirds* since 39 was so freakin' long!}

By the way, Lauren has dubbed herself my "special warnings muse" after her success with the Kleenex one and wanted me to mention that she thought the scene with Sokoke's meal warranted two incredibly rare warnings for this particular angst epic. First, it needs a "napkin warning" because it made her hungry and shortly after reading it she was busy in the kitchen making ramen noodles. Second, she said it needed "something or other" added as a warning because at one point Aya acts really weird and it cracked her up and she laughed pretty hard about it. I suggested the old faithful "nose cola alert" and when she asked what that meant and I explained, she went "Ewwwwww! Daddy! That's gross!" and left to go eat.

{shrugs, doesn't think either warning is important enough to build it into the body of the fic and since these intro-notes will all be stripped from the final edition at fanfiction.net in the distant future, you can heed them or ignore as you wish, after all, the only thing that the llama wants is for you to--}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who mentions with an evil wink that sometimes the most devastating thing an angst muse can do to both a character and the audience is let something go right for a change, and don't you just *hate* hearing something like that?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 38/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 0745-0815 hours ++

*****

As Ken exited a pleasant dream about being at the Weiss Chateau with Aya and Yohji both gloriously naked and nestled close to him, he blinked himself back into a world of pain and found a stranger's face peering at him. [1] 

"Who're you?" The brunette asked through the plastic of the respirator mask without intending any rudeness, despite his hazy awareness of the world due to sleep and medications he was still curious about the friendly-looking man bending over him to check his pulse.

"Hello, Ken-san," Okazaki answered with a reassuring smile before he explained, "I'm Hideo, I'm just one of the nurses here, no one important, really. Give me a moment to get this mask out of the way and I think you'll be pleased to see who is here to visit you." He flashed his usual shy smile at the handsome pair of young men who had suddenly appeared in Ken's line of sight behind him. 

Chocolate-colored eyes widened with pleasure as he was freed of the implement designed to aid his breathing and the nineteen year old sighed gladly, then smiled as best he could around the small katana-inflicted wounds surrounding his mouth and nose. In a stronger voice than he'd been able to summon earlier, he welcomed his two lovers by saying their names in a manner so filled with love and affection that no one would ever doubt the depth of his feelings for them, "Aya. Yohji. I was just dreaming of you, loves." 

Displacing the nurse who quickly moved aside, the lanky blond moved to lean down and openly kiss his lover on the lips, not caring what anyone else thought, then answered in a tone roughened with gratitude, "It's so good to hear you say our names, baby." Overcome with emotion, then Yohji gave him a second, slightly longer kiss and added sincerely, "There's no sweeter sound in the world than your voice, Ken-love."

Shocked and a little confused by Yohji's actions and words since he still had no idea of the true extent of his injuries, Ken cast a puzzled glance at Aya who stood behind the lanky blond. His violet-eyed lover was half-smiling at him in the usual concealed expression of adoration the scarlet-haired man showed only these two men yet offered no explanation. Frustrated by his continued ignorance, the brunette felt annoyed and tried to move his left hand to run it through his own hair in a nervous gesture picked up while playing in the J-league. 

When his arm not only failed to respond to his demand to move but also sent waves of pain coursing through his body for disturbing it, Ken complained unhappily, "Hey! That hurts! What the hell's wrong with my arm?" Leaning up in the bed slightly, he got his first hint of the true magnitude of his list of injuries as he spotted the chest tubes slipping under the sheet and into his body. With a grunt of shock and horror, he allowed himself to slump back against the pillow with a soft curse, "Fuck. I really trashed myself this time, didn't I? What did I do? Wreck my Kawaski or something?" 

Yohji shook his head sadly, he almost wished it was something as simple as that, then answered quietly, "You got shot while we were on a mission, baby." Brushing Ken's bangs back for him he asked, "Don't you remember what happened?"

An expression of concentration crossed the injured man's face and after a moment's thought, the chocolate-eyed teen shook his head slightly and answered unhappily, "No, Yohji, I don't remember a thing. Who shot me?" He glanced from his jade-eyed lover who suddenly didn't seem to know what to say over to the violet-eyed one and asked, "What happened, Aya?"

Moving to where he could speak to the younger of his two lovers more easily, the Weiss swordsman answered quietly, "We made a mistake on an assignment and you got hurt, Ken." His eyes meaningfully glanced at Okazaki who was talking briefly with Norwegian whom Ken couldn't see, then he added, "But we're not at KMC right now, so we really can't talk about it openly. Suffice it to say that the people who hurt you won't hurt anyone else ever again, though, all right?"

Not recalling anything about their last operation for Kritiker, Ken remained concerned and if he hadn't vaguely recalled talking to Omi and Nagi recently he might've been worried about the youngest member of Weiss and whether or not he'd been injured as well since he wasn't there right now. However, as usual the former athlete allowed his implicit trust of the two men who stood close by to rule his thoughts and he tried to relax a little and changed the subject by asking, "If I'm not at KMC, where am I? I could've sworn I was talking to Javanese earlier."

"Ah, but you were, Siberian," a warm and familiar voice answered from the end of his bed. Norwegian had moved to join the conversation after dismissing Okazaki so that the four of them might converse more freely. 

Looking away from his partners' faces for a moment, Ken was suitably surprised to see a much older man whom he recognized immediately. With a smile of welcome that hurt a little due to the small incisions near his mouth yet not caring about the pain, he greeted him, "Norwegian! You're here, too?" Getting a nod of acknowledgement in response to the rather pointless question, the injured man sighed and reiterated his earlier self-assessment, "Wow, if you're here I really *must* have gotten trashed pretty badly!" 

The portly physician chuckled softly and moved to where his patient could see him more easily before saying, "Yes, Siberian, I'm afraid that's as good a way of putting it as any. Luckily for all of us, your teammates brought you to Tokyo General Hospital and the surgeons here worked most diligently to repair the damage as best they could." Seeing the understandable look of fear and concern that grew in Ken's eyes upon hearing this brief yet rather dire summary, the doctor reassured, "They did a wonderful job, of course, but Manx called in myself, Javanese, and Korat to be a supplementary staff to assist in your treatment. Perhaps now would be a good time to talk about what happened and let you know exactly what injuries you've suffered as well as what the prognosis is for all of them?"

The feeling of fear that had grown in Ken's thoughts when he tried to move his arm and couldn't do so amplified as he attempted to run a quick internal check of his own abilities and found he was virtually unable to move any major muscle groups much less sit up. Trying to keep the fear out of his voice and out of his words, he agreed, "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea, doctor." Seeing the looks of pain and unhappiness on his two lovers' faces, he added, "I'm guessing it's not a pretty picture, right?"

"No, I'm afraid that it's not," Norwegian answered then added encouragingly, "However, things are looking better today than they were yesterday, isn't that right, Balinese and Abyssinian?" He glanced at the two men who remained protectively close to their beloved younger partner and he silently commanded them to try to look more confident and he wished they'd recall the promised aid from the KNT-0201 if nothing else. 

Rising to the challenge, the jade-eyed blond smiled warmly at the man in bed and assured, "Norwegian's absolutely right, Kenken! You're doing a ton better now and I'm sure it'll only keep on improving now that you're awake again." 

"How long was I out?" Ken asked, well aware that quite often the length of time a person spent unconscious following an injury bespoke not only the seriousness of the initial damage but also recovery time.

"Almost 48 hours," Aya said quietly and allowed a somewhat more hopeful expression enter his eyes as he added, "But they're both right, Ken. You're doing much better and if you're strong enough to talk now, why not let Norwegian explain what's happened so you won't worry more than you need to, love?"

Startled by Aya's use of the endearment that Ken had assumed the memory of hearing from him in the night was only a fragment of a dream, the brunette asked in confusion, "Aya? Did you just call me…?" His words trailed off, he was well aware of Norwegian's presence as well as Yohji's, yet the jade-eyed man seemed delighted beyond words to hear their scarlet-haired partner speaking this way and surprisingly enough, the physician had a similar reaction.

Moving past Yohji who gladly stepped aside to give his lovers room to be closer together, Aya caressed a suntanned cheek with the fingers of a pale hand and he smiled a rare, open, and utterly dazzling smile as he assured, "Yes, Ken, you heard that correctly. I told you this last night but I'll be happy to tell you again." Gazing at him earnestly, he professed, "I love you and I'm not going to pretend otherwise just because we aren't alone." The violet-eyed man meant the gray-eyed doctor standing nearby and not their green-eyed partner, yet it was a misstatement the trio could work out on their own later, even the chocolate-eyed man missed the unintended slight at that point. 

With a somewhat more relaxed and decidedly happy sigh, Ken answered with a phrase he'd never hesitated to use, "I love you, too, Aya. You and Yohji both for the longest time." Gazing at him with his typical open and honest expression he added with only a hint as to the physical pain he was suffering, "But if you finally found a way to say that to me, I guess it's pretty bad news, isn't it? I mean, I must have been at death's door and all that?"

An expression of sorrow touched the back of Aya's mind that his lack of confidence to have told Ken how he felt sooner was so obvious and that his current willingness to speak indicated far more than it should have. Forcing himself to stay as honest as he could be under the circumstances, the violet-eyed man nodded slightly, then answered in an atypically emotion-laden tone, "Yes, but death couldn't have you, love. You belong to us. We weren't going to let you go before, we won't let you go now." Allowing some of the ferocity in his voice to modulate to a warmer, more reassuring tone, he added, "Let Norwegian and his team take care of your body and trust Yohji, Omi, Nagi, and me to take care of everything else, all right?" 

The seeds of hope that Yohji had planted within Aya during their late-night conversation on the smoking porch were bearing greater fruit than the wire-wielding assassin could ever have predicted. The Weiss swordsman had finally embraced fully the idea that he could be open with his emotions with at least one of the two of those whom he loved and much of that adoration was pouring out in unexpected waves to help wash away Ken's fears. Deep within himself, Aya continued to wonder why he couldn't say similar things to Yohji, too, but this wasn't the time to be distracted by that concern, Ken needed his full attention right now.

Stunned by Aya's words as well as the clear expression of his inner feelings, Ken simply lay still for a moment, then found himself even more shocked when emotion-darkened violet eyes slid partially shut and Aya moved to place a brief yet tender kiss to his lips before asking, "Well? Will you trust us to take care of you, love?" 

In a hushed voice, filled with wonder and deep appreciation for the gifts that were being bestowed upon him, the younger of the two answered quietly, "Always." He lifted his head ever so slightly from the pillow and pressed a kiss to Aya's lips in return and then lay quietly as the scarlet-haired man straightened and moved to where Ken could once more see all those around him.

Emotions were running high in the room and all four men were silent for a moment or two. 

Filled with a sense of satisfaction that his two lovers had finally grown so close despite himself being left out of the equation, Yohji was smiling helplessly and didn't even try to break the silence with a witty remark like he usually would have. There was nothing he could say or do to add to the power of Aya's promise of support for their injured lover so he simply stood there, temporarily purposeless hands tucked into the pockets of his pants, and waited for whatever was next.

A little surprised with himself for being able to do what he'd just done, Aya retreated behind his usual wall of silence and tried to sort out the way those around him were reacting. He felt that he and Ken had been communicating on a level that they'd never been at before and he was certain that the brunette truly meant what he'd said, too, and that alone was cause for even more hope to grow in his heart. 

As for the elder of his two lovers, however, Yohji seemed to be distracted and slightly remote, something that confused him. He'd fully expected the jade-eyed man to reach out to him, to touch him in some fashion after his display, but he hadn't even though there was no condemnation in the distance between them, only a sense of something waiting to express itself later. Deciding these thoughts were more than he wanted to deal with at the time, Aya turned away from them and merely kept his eyes on Ken and allowed strength to flow from himself to the younger assassin.

Pleased that the young men in his care seemed to be releasing themselves from some of the self-imposed limitations that were injuring their relationship and thereby hurting one another, Norwegian allowed the silence to reign only as long as he thought it was needed. However, when he sensed it had lost its usefulness he stated simply, "Now that all of that is settled, perhaps we can answer some of Siberian's questions." Getting several nods of agreement, he turned toward Ken and added more warmly, "But we'll try not to talk for too long, you still need plenty of rest, you know."

Nodding tiredly yet not willing to allow the worrisome mystery of his own physical condition to remain unsolved, the chocolate-eyed man answered, "All right, Norwegian. If I get too tired, I'll say so."

"Very well," the portly physician accepted and then proceeded to explain with minimal detail the amount of damage that five bullets had done to the teen's body barely two days prior. 

After speaking at length and answering the occasional question Ken chose to ask, Norwegian had covered everything he wanted to and was a little baffled by his patient's seeming lack of distress over the still potentially life-threatening injuries should either the nerve regeneration drug fail or the kidney not heal. With a slight frown he looked at the brunette and asked, "Are you sure you understand all that I've told you, Siberian?" Seeing that Ken was in the middle of yawning and couldn't respond immediately, the doctor added as if an afterthought, "I rather expected more of a reaction than this from you."

Tired and becoming sleepy once more thanks to the constant flow of various drugs into his system through the IVs that fed life-giving fluids to him, Ken nodded his head slightly and answered, "Yeah, Norwegian, I think I got it all." Chocolate eyes drooped a little but he summarized it as best he could to let them all know what he was thinking in the hopes it might alleviate some of Yohji's and Aya's obvious concern for him. "Basically, I took five bullets but stayed alive because my teammates never gave up on me. Now I've got only one screwed-up kidney that may or may not heal, my spine is messed-up but you've got some special stuff for that, my arm and leg are both a wreck, and there's something or other up with my lungs and heart, but it didn't sound too bad." The exhausted teen yawned hugely and fell silent, wishing he could get someone to turn down the lights and bring him a warmer blanket, he was cold.

Blinking in surprise, the physician nodded thoughtfully and admitted, "Well, yes, it would appear that you do indeed understand the situation, Siberian. But tell me, why do you seem to not be concerned about it? Most patients wouldn't be half as relaxed about this prognosis as you seem to be."

Yawning again and not caring about it, the brown-eyed man smiled weakly at his two lovers who shared the expression of confusion the doctor wore and he said simply, "Didn't you hear Aya and Yohji? They said for me to trust them and you, so I am." With a soft snort of exhaustion, he added, "Besides, what good would it do to get upset about it? I'm amazed I got hit five times and lived in the first place. I figure I'm still alive for a reason, and that probably needs me to be healthy somewhere down the road, so why worry now?"

Yohji chuckled softly and felt relieved, Aya, however, remained typically silent even though his heart was filled with gratitude that Ken trusted them so completely.

Finding nothing wrong with his patient's reasoning, the Kritiker doctor laughed quietly and nodded, "That's as good a way to look at it as any, I guess. Is there anything we can do for you now, Siberian?" Watching the injured man yawn tiredly, he added in a warm, fatherly voice, "Or do you just need some more rest, son?"

In a quiet tone filled with previously denied exhaustion, Ken answered, "'m cold 'n sleepy, Norwegian." 

"Let me get one of the nurses to get you a blanket, Siberian," The doctor remarked kindly, pleased such a simple thing might grant some comfort. Patting the teen's uninjured shoulder lightly before leaving the room, he added, "Go ahead and rest now, all right? I'll be back later to start adding the injections of KNT-0201 directly into your IV so you won't even need to be awake for that." With his best encouraging smile in place, the doctor left the room, intending to make some notes on Ken's progress as well as to find out who would be replacing Okazaki when the nurse practitioner went off-duty in the early afternoon. 

Blinking tired eyes at his two lovers who were still protectively close following the departure of the doctor, Ken asked in a very quiet voice, "c'n you stay while i fall 'sleep, loves?"

"Sure thing, baby," Yohji assured, speaking his first words in what seemed like a long time. Then he moved to stand closer and simply caressed the side of Ken's face lovingly, glad that all the injured man needed now for respiratory aid was a simple oxygen tube that had been installed during Norwegian's comments. With an adoring smile he added, "Get plenty of sleep, Ken-love. We'll take care of whatever comes up." 

As Okazaki brought in a warm blanket, smiled shyly in apology for interrupting, spread it over the recovering youth, and departed as silently as he arrived, Aya moved to stand on the other side of Ken's bed and gathered his lover's hand into his own. Stroking his thumbs over the bruised skin warming them both, he quietly promised, "We'll stay as long as you need us to, Ken. Just rest now."

"'kay," Ken agreed softly, eyes sliding closed as he eased back into slumber glad to know the truth about not only his injuries but also that Aya had finally been able to put into words what he himself had suspected for quite awhile. It never occurred to him to inquire if his scarlet-haired lover had made a similar avowal to his blond one since he assumed incorrectly that he had, but at the time it didn't matter. The three of them were together, the mood was loving and peaceful, and they were sharing a feeling of hope that would be needed to carry them through not only the current crisis but several more to come in the not too distant future.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] What I'm calling the Weiss Chateau is the ski chalet shown in Episode 1 and even though it isn't stated in the series, I assume it's on snowy Hokkaido or located in Northern Honshu and this is what Kenken's dreaming about. Of course, whether or not this is foreshadowing or a Red Herring is a better question to ask, but Melpomene and Erato aren't answering questions like that right now.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 38 & 39 will be posted together. 


	39. Plans to Aid a Friend and Sokoke's Feast

Title: Cold November Rain [part 39/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 0845-1305 hours ++

*****

After spending a renewing half-hour simply watching their younger lover sleeping comfortably as they stood guard over him, Aya and Yohji silently agreed to leave Ken to Javanese and Okazaki's expert care and went in search of Norwegian wanting answers about another person they were worried about. 

Both men had been concerned about the lack of information being given them regarding Nagi's collapse the previous day. Even though they understood that there simply hadn't been time to deal with that issue as well as the more critical matters pertaining to their beloved brunette after their extended slumber, it seemed as if this was a good time to address the issue. As they left the intensive care unit, Yohji silently gestured towards the smoking porch with his pack of cigarettes and Aya equally silently agreed with a nod of his head.

Once outside, the lanky blond gratefully leaned against the now familiar brick wall, placed a pair of cigarettes between his lips and prepared to light them both. With a shake of his head, the scarlet-haired man indicated he didn't want any nicotine and simply removed one of the cigarettes from his lover's lips and handed it back to him so it could be returned to the pack. Confused as to why Aya had agreed to step out into the chilly air with him if he didn't even want to smoke, Yohji frowned slightly then shrugged and lit his own cigarette, inhaling a lungful of cancer-causing smoke gladly. 

Even as jade eyes slipped closed briefly as Yohji merely enjoyed the acrid burn in his throat, violet ones were staring unseeing at the sky where the sun was doing its level best to punch holes in the cloud cover and having mixed success. Aya was lost in thought about how best to insure that he could keep his promises to Ken as well as to himself and somehow completely forgot to give further consideration to the question regarding what inner force was blocking his ability to tell Yohji how he felt. 

Time passed quietly for them both and the few minutes of peace weren't particularly noticed by either of the Weiss assassins.

Taking one last deep drag on his cigarette before flicking the spent butt away dismissively, the jade-eyed man cocked his head towards his partner, catching Aya's attention and getting a neutral gaze in response that told him nothing about the man's inner thoughts. Yohji's mind raced with a million things he wanted to say or to inquire about but he feared some of the answers. Taking the safest route for a change, he just asked, "Ready to go? I want to track down Norwegian and ask him if he and Korat figured anything out about Nagi."

Nodding, Aya turned away from him and opened the door for them both, saying, "I agree. Now that Ken's condition is improving, I'd like to find out what *really* happened to him yesterday." 

"Same here," the lanky blond agreed and then they both wordlessly reentered the warmth of the building where so much of their lives had been spent lately.

Soon, the pair approached the intensive care unit's waiting room where Norwegian and Manx were discussing matters. Both looked up as they entered but before either could greet them, the redheaded woman's cell phone rang and she soon exited to speak privately with her supervisor since Persia was asking for status reports on Aya and Yohji that they themselves didn't need to hear.

Norwegian smiled at the eldest members of Weiss and asked how they were both coping with the stresses of the situation. The resulting conversation was brief and predictable. Before long, though, neither Aya nor Yohji were in the mood to wait to open the topic they had come there to talk to the man about and Balinese broached the subject with a simple enough inquiry that lead to a useful discussion. 

Several minutes of conversation revealed that Korat and Norwegian both felt that the root of many of Nagi's problems might be a complex mixture of the ordinary as well as the extraordinary despite the lack of quantification of the impact of the use of his powers on his health. 

As for the influence of the day-to-day aspects of life on Nagi's physical condition, all three agreed it was clear to anyone who had seen the diminutive telekinetic shirtless the way Aya, Yohji, and Korat had the day before that the boy was dangerously underfed. No comment was made as to how much blame for that laid squarely on the shoulders of the members of Schwarz whom he lived and worked with, though. There was enough uncertainty over the stressful way that Nagi was trying to straddle the lines between the rival assassin teams as it was. 

With more than a little effort, Yohji held his tongue when it occurred to him to bring up the suggestion made to the ebony-skinned nurse the day before about trying to get the sable-haired teen to move into the Koneko and live with them in the first place. He'd thought about it more and even though he still believed that to be the best solution for many of the youth's problems, he also knew it was Nagi's life to lead, not his. 

Another issue that was mentioned was the stress itself as well as a number of unanswerable questions regarding Nagi's background and previous healthcare. After repeatedly encountering things none of the three of them could address properly, Norwegian terminated the otherwise useless discussion with an atypical frown. 

With a displeased sigh, the gray-eyed man remarked in frustration, "Well, I'm afraid that the best course of action at this point is to request a fairly broad-ranging series of blood tests as well as to simply insist that the boy eats better and gets more rest." Shaking his head, he added what had been avoided until now, "I have no idea what Schwarz thinks it's doing allowing one of its operatives to become so physically compromised. However, for the moment, I will do everything within my power to see to it that Bombay's companion is given the best of treatment as long as he is with us."

The two younger men regarded one another and it was silently agreed that Aya would answer since this was more a matter pertaining to Weiss than it was to them as individuals, "I appreciate that, doctor, but I'd like to remind you of what I told Korat yesterday. Despite Nagi's help in the current crisis and the fact that he is a close friend to all of us in Weiss, he is *not* under my command and I wouldn't even consider approving anything in the way of testing that he himself isn't fully agreeable to." 

The doctor blinked in surprise not only in response to the length of the violet-eyed man's response but also the strength of emotion behind it. He had no idea what was going through Aya's mind at that moment, but he knew better than to take offence at the implication that he would force his healing arts on someone who wasn't willing to receive them. 

Carefully returning his trademark reassuring smile onto his face, the man nodded and agreed wholeheartedly, "Of course not, Abyssinian. None of us wish to cause the boy any undue distress, but several of these theories can't be substantiated one way or another without some simple blood work."

Yohji had been considering several lines of thought that had arisen from a few of the theories Norwegian had proposed that could explain Nagi's apparent tendency to pass out and with a small, thoughtful frown he asked, "Are any of those ideas of yours testable by any other means, doctor? I mean, observation, that sort of thing?" Catching an angry glare from Aya at the apparent willingness to disregard Nagi's privacy, Yohji held his hands up in front of him as if in self-defense and added, "What if he's been conditioned by his training to refuse testing, Aya? Shouldn't we consider a few other methods of trying to help him if push comes to shove?"

His partner's anger cooled immediately and before long, the scarlet-haired man was nodding and he turned towards the doctor who seemed to be lost in thought and asked, "Well? Is there, Norwegian?"

"Perhaps," the doctor agreed slowly, then explained, "Blood tests are far superior and what I recommend most strongly. But if it should come down to it, I believe I can instruct both of you as well as Bombay in a few simple things to watch for. Who knows? Even after he leaves to return to his teammates, you might be able to use those skills to monitor his health at a later date when his being seen by myself might be impossible?"

Both of the Weiss assassins immediately reacted favorably to this, but before the discussion could continue, they were interrupted by a request from Javanese for Norwegian to return to the intensive are unit, Dr. Egami was there and he wanted to review Ken's case with him.

Alone once more, Yohji and Aya briefly discussed a few plans of their own and agreed that between the two of them, they'd be more watchful of the midnight blue-eyed youth's eating habits if nothing else. As the elder of the pair quietly observed, it seemed as if Nagi only ate when someone told him to and if that was the case, they'd simply make more opportunities available for that to happen while they could. They further agreed to allow Norwegian to decide what to say to Omi about this entire matter, this was an area neither of them had any expertise in to speak of and it was best if they left the medical issues to the man who could handle them best.

Unfortunately, by the time the two teens would return from the Hilton later in the morning, there wouldn't be a chance for Norwegian to speak with them. The physician had been summoned back to Kritiker Medical Center after the unexpected death of the patient who had been brought to him for emergency care the night before. They would, however, be reunited with another person they'd met the day before who would make Aya and Yohji's plan to see to it that Nagi ate well a whole lot easier than they might have hoped. 

*****

Even as Nagi and Omi were sitting on the floor again and rediscovering the fact that cheating at Yahtzee was almost more fun than playing by the rules, a cheerful feminine voice greeted them from the hallway outside the intensive care unit's waiting room. 

"Hello again!" Sokoke smiled at them both and nodded at a cart she was pushing that was heavily laden with more trays and dishes than either teen could count at a glance and asked, "Do you know where I should put this?"

Scrambling to his feet and helping his boyfriend up as well, the cerulean-eyed youth smiled brightly in return and asked, "Is all of this yours, Sokoke?" After catching a whiff of a delicious aroma he answered himself and nearly licked his lips as he asked eagerly, "Is that our lunch?"

"Yes it is, Bombay," the honey-blond beamed delightedly, more than satisfied to see the immediate signs of male hunger her brothers and cousins had taught her so well. Turning towards the midnight blue-eyed boy, she added, "You look like you're feeling much better today, Nagi. I'm so glad!"

"Thank you, Sokoke," the sable-haired boy replied slightly shyly as he recalled the woman had only seen him laying in bed with Omi hovering nearby the day before. Along with that memory, however, came one he was less embarrassed by and he asked hopefully, "Did you make more miso soup, by any chance? It was really good yesterday."

The secretary's smile brightened even more and she answered, "Thank you, Nagi, I'm so glad you liked it! Yes, I did bring some of that but with lots more things to chose from to go on top in case anyone wants a little more variety." 

As the two boys moved to help her get the heavily loaded cart down the hall toward the conference room that Yohji and Aya had met with Norwegian in, she began to list off what she thought were only a few items they might enjoy trying. By the time they arrived at their destination, Nagi had twice surreptitiously used his powers to keep some of the dishes in place, there were just too many for even the large cart the staff had loaned her from the laundry to carry safely.

With a quiet laugh of appreciation for his boyfriend's intervention as he spotted a runaway container of chopsticks seemingly dancing in midair before they slid themselves back into place on the cart, Omi asked the chef, "Er, Sokoke? Is there anything that you *didn't* bring us for lunch today? It sounds as if you've prepared enough food for an army!"

Laughing, the honey-blond woman shrugged and said apologetically, "I guess it does now that I think about it, Bombay. But I really love to cook and knowing that this might be the healthiest meal you might get all day, I wanted to make sure you all got plenty." 

Seeing the conference room was empty and happily moving to rearrange a few things to suit herself, Sokoke felt a little nervous as to whether or not the results of her culinary skills would be enjoyed by the other members of Weiss. Javanese had been right, the florist/assassins were far from "scary" now that she'd gotten to know them and she would've been lying if she claimed the opinions of the eldest two weren't as important to her as those of the boys helpfully unloading the cart for her.

Beginning to "plate out" and garnish the seemingly endless assortment of food that continued to amaze Nagi as each dish was uncovered, Sokoke asked over her shoulder, "Will it be hard to let everyone know that lunch is ready if they want some, Bombay?"

Glancing up from where he was semi-secretly folding some paper napkins into origami flowers, Omi answered with a classic genki smile, "Not at all! As soon as you want them here, I'll give them a call. Balinese and Abyssinian are in the intensive care unit keeping Siberian company with Javanese and Hideo." Seeing the woman's inquiring glance he explained, "Hideo's a nurse here. He's really super nice and stuff. Do you think there's enough for him to have some, too?"

Unexpectedly, Nagi spoke up and offered, "He's from a small fishing village and I think he'd probably enjoy some of the traditional dishes you've made, Sokoke. I know that I hadn't had anything that tasted as good as your cooking in a long time and there certainly seems to be enough to share."

Blinking in surprise that the usually quiet, sable-haired boy had volunteered a suggestion and wanting to befriend him since the similarities to her cousin were almost unbearably endearing, she agreed easily, "Well, sure, Nagi, if you really think he might like some." Receiving a shy half-smile in return that delighted her, she was about to turn to Omi to ask him to call his teammates but she didn't need to.

Sauntering into the room exuding his legendary confidence and charm, Yohji's expression was one of unschooled pleasure as he asked unnecessarily, "Oh, yumm! What smells so incredibly *good* in here?" He deliberately scanned the bountiful table of food with clear hunger and then remarked teasingly as his jade eyes landed on the newly arrived Kritiker secretary's hopeful smile, "What's this? I thought it was just a room full of wonderful food but look! Right in the middle is none other than a woman more beautiful than any flower might dare to be! No table could ever boast of a lovelier adornment than you, Sokoke!" Sauntering towards her with the easy gait that left the fangirls at the flowershop swooning behind him, the former playboy swept the woman's hand into his own and placed a gentlemanly kiss onto the back of it. 

The suave man's rakish act bespoke gratitude far more than any false attraction even Sokoke knew better than to believe and elicited a most attractive blush along with a small giggle of embarrassment from the honey-blond woman.

Ignoring the dramatics of the elder of his two lovers, Aya had walked in behind his jade-eyed partner and paused long enough to make a quick call to alert Manx and the recently awakened Korat that the food had arrived. Even he had to admit the meal looked too good to wait long for, so the violet-eyed man interrupted his lover's post-performance preening to say with only a touch of acid, "If you are quite done interfering with Sokoke's efforts, Balinese, would you care to let her finish? I believe that Nagi and Bombay both look hungry." 

Aya's meaningful glance at the youngest person in the room was all that was needed to remind Yohji of their earlier agreement and the chastened man bowed his head in apology to both his partner and the secretary, then offered, "How might I be of assistance, Sokoke? This all looks and smells marvelous!" 

"Doesn't it though?" Omi chimed in, handing the startled woman a heartfelt, monochrome bouquet of napkin-flowers of as many shapes as anything he might have assembled in the Koneko and he added sweetly, "I hope you like these, Sokoke. I wish they were real, but…?"

Amazed, shocked, delighted, and feeling far more loved than she had in a very long time, the honey-blond woman brushed a wisp of hair from her eyes as if to banish it as well as a hint of happy moisture from them before answering, "They're wonderful, Bombay. I love them! Where did you learn to make these?"

"Momoe-san taught me, she helps us at the flowershop, you know," the blond teen answered with a smile and then turned the conversation back to the same lines the others were working towards. "Should I hand out plates or would you like this done some other way?" 

"Banquet style was what I had in mind, yes, thank you," she answered, giving him plates for everyone even as Nagi silently busied himself arranging various condiments on a side table. The midnight blue-eyed teen was even smiling a little more openly, relieved by the comfortable atmosphere good friends and the promise of good food gave to them all. 

Within ten minutes or so, the small room was a bit crowded with everyone other than the missing Norwegian and Okazaki who insisted that Javanese eat first enjoying the plethora of traditional homemade Japanese foods the secretary-cum-chef had prepared. When asked, Sokoke had sheepishly admitted that she'd had to get up at 4am to have everything ready but she insisted it was worth it if for no reason other than the smile on Nagi's face as he sipped his soup with pleasure.

Jade and violet eyes swept over the diminutive telekinetic who was eating quite well without complaint and both of the elder members of Weiss turned to her as if of one mind and Yohji quietly said, "Thanks a lot for that, Sokoke. You have no idea what a relief it is to see him do that."

With a sad sigh of her own and thoughts of her young cousin and the way he looked after his father died, she answered, "I can guess, Balinese." Then she brightened once more and added, "But I plan to bring another meal tomorrow. Who knows? We might get Nagi convinced that he likes to eat after all?"

"That would be a welcome improvement," the lanky blond agreed, then frowned slightly and asked, "But isn't this a lot of extra work? After all, you just said you got up at an hour that sounds a little early for you and it was obviously a chore getting it all here."

Giving it some thought as she tried some of her own assorted nigiri sushi and being pleased they'd held not only their shape but also their carefully orchestrated flavor, Sokoke finally answered with more confidence than she'd expected, "No, not in the least." Peering at both men closely to make sure her words matched her meaning, she explained, "Ever since I came to work for Persia, I always felt like there was something more I could be doing for Kritiker. You know, something to help make Tokyo a better place to live the way that you two do only in a much smaller way? Not that I could ever be an operative like you are, but I just wanted to do more, help directly." She glanced at the various small groupings of people enjoying her hard work and found Omi's lilting laughter in response to some small thing Javanese had said to him heartwarming even as Korat himself beamed delightedly at the Weiss archer's good humor. 

The honey-blond woman turned back with a truly content smile on her face and she said, "Finally, I found something like that to do." Glancing away self-consciously, she added, "I know this isn't what I was supposed to be doing here, I was sent to get that report and all, but right now, I feel better about what I'm doing and why I joined Kritiker than I have in a very long time. I'm really glad to help anyway that I can, Balinese. Is that wrong?"

Yohji found himself simply astounded by the woman he had barely gotten to know and without thinking about it much, he reached out to brush a loose tendril of hair from her face and he assured her quietly, "No, that's not 'wrong' at all, Sokoke. Not everyone is meant to do what the four of us in Weiss do, it's a dirty job and *definitely* not meant for someone kind and generous like yourself. But you've made a huge difference for us and if it's okay with you, I'd like to let Persia know about it later." With one of his trademark saucy winks he added playfully, "After all, if the man doesn't know he has a potential Iron Chef on his hands and is wasting her skills on dictation, he might be in for a shock when he gets a call from Chairman Kaga himself one day!" [1] 

"Balinese!" The woman blushed furiously, then glanced at Aya expecting the scarlet-haired man to be annoyed with the man who was obviously more than a teammate and feared any unhappiness she might have inadvertently caused.

The violet-eyed man, however, was far less uptight than usual thanks to food that tasted like the things his mother used to make and he leaned back in his chair slightly, sipped his tea thoughtfully, then commented casually, "She could beat Chen or Kobe any day, Yohji. Morimoto or Sakai, though, might give her a challenge."

Jade eyes widened in surprise and Yohji almost choked on the bit of pickled daikon he had bitten into with a satisfying crunch then asked in shock, "Say *what,* Aya? Since when do *you* watch cooking shows?"

Aya rose from the table fluidly, shrugged slightly then remarked without regret or anger, "Since I used to spend most of my free evenings at home while other people did their level best to try out every new dance club that opened in Tokyo." He inclined his head in a small bow to the woman they were embarrassing with their deliberately over-the-top praise then added more sincerely, "The food was excellent, Sokoke. Your efforts are deeply appreciated. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take some miso soup to Ken if Korat and Javanese okay it. The clear broth they gave him earlier looked unappetizing and I'm sure he'd enjoy your wonderful soup much more."

Totally shocked and cheeks stained a delightful sakura pink by the effusive praise from the usually stoic man, she merely nodded and then said quietly, "You're very welcome, Abyssinian. If they say 'yes', please tell him that I hope he enjoys it, too."

"Why not come by the ICU later and find out for yourself what he thought?" The scarlet-haired man asked, a gentle smile playing with the corners of his lips against his will since the woman's expression reminded him of his sister. With a hidden look of amusement only Yohji could read, he added in a close approximation of his jade-eyed lover's charming style, "But you're right, Balinese. Persia ought to be made to appreciate a pearl like Sokoke when he has one so close by. Consider it an objective to fulfill, understand?"

Smirking broadly at the incredibly rare show of unfettered humor from the man who seemed intent on finding an almost infinite number of new ways to surprise him after the brunette's reawakening much earlier that day, the lanky blond saluted crisply and agreed, "Yes sir, Abyssinian, sir! I'll see to it that it's taken care of soon, sir!"

Shaking his head slightly, Aya snorted in amusement and then walked away. Eventually, he would indeed get permission for Ken to enjoy a small bowl of warm soup and the two would also enjoy a few quiet moments together courtesy of the secretary-cum-chef's efforts. 

Even as the meal ended for some of those in the room, it began anew for at least one unfamiliar face and Sokoke enjoyed meeting and spending time with Okazaki, finding the handsome yet shy older man a pleasure to talk with. As it turned out, the nurse practitioner shared an interest in cooking having learned many traditional techniques at his grandmother's knee. They agreed to get together to cook a meal for those gathered at Tokyo General Hospital the next time the nurse had a day off and then he returned to duty with a small smile of delighted anticipation on his face.

By the time the woman was alone in the room, Sokoke simply sat in pleased silence for a moment before commenting to the air, "I can't believe it. All I did was cook a little and suddenly I've got not only a bunch of new friends, I've got a *date*, too?!" She sighed happily then added with a tiny smile of her own, "And I really like Hideo, too. He's so sweet, he kind of reminds me of Bombay only all grown up and *far* more interesting!" With a laugh at how silly she was being and that she ought to stop acting like a schoolgirl, Sokoke moved to begin cleaning up and hummed happily to herself as she went about her tasks with a lively sense of celebration around her.

The meal had been a rousing success and all those who had partaken of the honey-blond woman's offerings had left feeling more relaxed, confident, and hopeful. The power of food is often under-appreciated and yet, much as she had the day before with her unplanned efforts in the hospital cafeteria, Sokoke had brought them a great gift. 

Sadly, though, for at least one person who had enjoyed the feast, it would turn out to be their last meal but that was a sorrow no one could've predicted might occur and none present could have prevented. Worse, it was a tragedy that would not even be fully understood by those who would be troubled by it most until a number of months in the future. Frighteningly, that understanding would only add fuel to a fire that would rage out of control all the worse because of it and result in further agony being heaped upon the sorrow like wood on a funeral pyre.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Yet another popular culture reference of the culinary persuasion from the Llama. If you've never seen the entertaining and thoroughly Japanese competitive cooking program called "Iron Chef," it's on the Food Network in the US and it shows at 10pmEST Friday and Saturday nights with plenty of specials and marathons, too. Anime fans can have fun playing "Name That Tune" with the background music which has occasionally included selections from Escaflowne, Evangelion, various Gundam series, and more.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 38 & 39 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to all those brave souls who are traveling out of their usual fandoms to read not only this Angst Epic but a few of my pieces for other anime series as well. 

{celebrates gleefully, then pauses and realizes there's no list of names ready for this dedication and decides to mention why there isn't one yet then highlights a special "dedicatee" on this list anyway since he plays favorites from time to time, obviously!}

As of right now, I'm not sure who would be on this list, but rumor has it that a few people from here are rediscovering GW thanks to my other works and a few who even took a peek at my Cowboy Bebop piece have gone in search of a touch of that, too. But readers don't just go from WK to others from here, they come in as well, and I know of at least one particularly wonderful fan who is following this story avidly who hasn't ever even *seen* WK and that is my kitten-koi, Ryoko. Each time I send out a new posting run, I get all kinds of delightful feedback from her and since she isn't limited by any preconceptions from the series itself, she's getting a big kick out of discovering the guys' various quirks and personalities as she reads. Granted, she also enjoys good old-fashioned lemony goodness and since that's on its way in future stories within this continuity, she's looking forward to *that*, too! 

{smirks, promises the neko-lovely and everyone else who wants it that as soon as CNR is over--and a short break is taken to go read other people's fics as well as put together a (5x3) lemon fic for GW that Erato wants to do--the llama will be hard at work on "Scars" with lots of angsty-lemon for the Weiss trio and then gets serious again}

It's always a dangerous thing to ask a fan to trust a writer enough to try a tale that might convince them to love a new set of characters, but I hope that the risk is worth it on this one. I've striven to keep this fic as spoiler-free as possible so that those new viewers who have only seen the first US-release DVD can still enjoy it without encountering the many, many things that ruin later episodes for some people. Unlike any series that has run several times in its entirety on Cartoon Network (ie: GW), I feel that it is important to not detract from the creators' works by telling their tales ahead of time unless full warning is given.

At the same time, I've worked diligently to keep my WK stories accessible to readers not fully familiar with the world of Weiss and Schwarz, but I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't help if I put together a brief "who's-who" sometime for this continuity and added it at fanfiction.net. Anyone think that might help? If so, feel free to ask for it and even though it might take until after the fic is completed and it's added later as a guide for the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity that can be updated as fics are added, I'll do what I can to add it for you. Spoiler-free, of course, with various editions designed not to ruin future stories that follow this one either!

{yawns a lot and realizes that if he hadn't taken the chibis shopping to get books for school and other supplies that couldn't be done without this might've been posted earlier but it wasn't and it's time to stop typing, post, and go to bed}

Oyasuminasai!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who needs an entire week free soon to answer mail and reviews at fanfiction.net, but since the fic isn't even finished and all Melpomene is doing is making the Parts longer and more plot-heavy like 39 was, there's not much hope of that happening right now, ne?)

Posted 11 March 2002, ~3:45am.


	40. An Unwarranted Act of Monstrous Cruelty

Greetings and welcome once again to the Angst Theatre where tonight's performance of "Cold November Rain" reminds everyone that this particular playhouse comes by its name honestly from time to time.

{looks a little nervous as he puts on the tuxedo and he can't help but wonder what people will think about tonight's show as he lights the marquee and hands out playbills quickly wanting to let the readers get to the action right away}

Our performance opens with Part 40 wherein a number of mysteries are answered in a truly heart wrenching fashion as a certain Scotsman reappears and shows his true colors. In the second part of the program we discover the reactions of those confronted by the news of what occurred the afternoon prior and Abyssinian leaves on a solo mission in the hopes of making right something that is very, very wrong.

{still feels worried and is afraid his loyal readers might want to string him up for this one, but since it's some of Melpomene's best work in months, he runs it anyway but only *after* he adds a warning that's stronger than last night's were}

Reminder/Warning: This story *is* rated "R" and after too many "PG-13" Parts, it is returning to its true angst level for this posting run. Also, Kleenex might be a good thing to have handy if you're prone to strong reactions when things go badly for characters you've come to care about.

Enjoy the Decidedly Higher Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who literally fell asleep at the keyboard very early in the morning today after getting the fic posted to fanfiction.net and totally forgot to double-check the copies that went to the MLs when he woke up again some time around 11am, geez, *what* a llama!!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 40/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 3. time: 1530-1600 hours. Location: Kritiker Headquarters. ++

*****

Several hours after sharing a highly successful feast prepared with love and a strong desire to give more than she had before, Sokoke made her way past security at the entrance to Persia's inner-offices, humming a happy tune to herself and feeling as if nothing could ruin her good mood. The honey-blond secretary was far more than satisfied with the results of her long morning of cooking, the people she had prepared the meal for had been more than gracious with their thanks. 

She couldn't keep herself from smiling as she recalled the shy smile of gratitude Ken had given her when she stopped by the intensive care unit to see if the miso soup had tasted good to him and whether or not he wanted more the next day. The evidence of the brunette's injuries had been somewhat disconcerting, but Yohji and Aya's reassuring presence allowed her to feel welcome in the strange environment. 

By the time she and Yohji had left to work on the slightly overdue report for Persia, Sokoke was confident that miso soup would remain on her menu for those at Tokyo General Hospital until further notice since it seemed to please not only Nagi but Ken as well. 

As she dropped a diskette containing Yohji's preliminary report on the disastrous mission that left Ken injured on Persia's desk with a small note apologizing for its lateness attached to it, the secretary-cum-chef contemplated the five unique young men she'd been so glad to help feed recently. 

Siberian and Nagi certainly didn't seem to fit the image of assassins in her mind, they were both too gentle and sweet. But Bombay didn't either considering the brilliant smile he'd had on his face when he presented her with the adorable origami flowers he'd made that afternoon which she planned to keep in her tiny apartment just to remind her of her new friends. To Sokoke, even Balinese didn't seem likely to be a cold-blooded killer with his many charming mannerisms and light-hearted, teasing nature. At first only Abyssinian had seemed to have the edge she imagined would be needed to have destroyed so many in the name of justice, but after his unexpected kindness and talk of cooking shows she was finding that hard to believe, too. 

Compared to some of the other Kritiker "deadly force" operatives she'd met, the five assassins she'd recently spent time with were all warm and friendly people. They were attractive young men she would enjoy getting to know better in the coming days instead of being some of the dark and brooding types she often feared more than anything else. The more she thought about it, the more the honey-blond woman realized that people were rarely what they appeared to be on the surface and that included herself.

Without thinking about the stacks of mostly empty dishes in her car, Sokoke moved from Persia's office into her own and slipped comfortably into the chair in front of her desk. Happy smile firmly in place once more, she began checking her messages somewhat distracted by thoughts of a certain nurse she looked forward to spending time with. Okazaki's invitation to cook together soon had caught her off-guard, but it was a delightful surprise since she'd only been spending time lately with a certain co-worker who wasn't half as much fun as he liked to think he was. 

"Well, well, if it isn't my dear little Sokoke," a voice thick with a Scottish accent unexpectedly spoke from behind her, asking, "Where have *you* been lately? You stood me up for lunch for two days in a row without leaving me so much as a note! I'm crushed!"

Turning her head only slightly, the secretary missed the look of jealous venom in the orange-haired man's eyes and she laughed lightly before answering, "Don't be silly, Cal! You *know* I have work to do other than keeping you company while the other members of Grün go for some extra training in Osaka! I've been over at Tokyo General Hospital helping Norwegian with Weiss." Failing to realize that she was lighting the fuse on what amounted to a powerful set of emotional explosives, she added with a wistful sigh, "They're all just so sweet! No wonder everyone around here loves them!" It was sheer luck she hadn't made any allusions to Nagi's presence there, it would have only made the diminutive telekinetic a target of the infuriated Scotsman's anger and he had enough of those already to vent himself against. 

Despite Sokoke's mention of the three young men he himself was destined to lead, Calico refused to think about his own teammates who were tracking down and eliminating various yakuza members for much needed practice since he alone had been a hardened killer before joining Kritiker. Instead, he simply simmered quietly for a moment as the woman continued to check messages blissfully unaware of the danger in his words when he asked with hidden enmity, "Tell me, how *is* Siberian doing? The last thing I knew, the poor boy was barely holding on. Has he finally given in to the inevitable?" 

To have been informed by Persia himself that one of the two men that Balinese greedily called "lover" was severely injured had given the orange-haired teen a twisted sense of joy and actually seeing Ken laying unconscious in the intensive care unit had made it all the sweeter. The source of Calico's hatred for Yohji was no longer important and even though he'd enjoyed taunting the man a few nights prior, it hadn't been anywhere near as fun as what he'd done to him while on Hokkaido. Instead of giving him a sense of fulfillment, however, memories of fear and terror filling jade eyes brought a desire to see even more of the same emotions and the Scotsman had hoped that the brunette's impending death would provide them in abundance. 

Unaware that the young man she was speaking with had so much emotionally invested in the situation, Sokoke looked up and smiled into hazel eyes that were filled with false friendship and she answered, "Actually, he's doing a lot better!" With sunny smile still in place, she looked away so she could finish writing a requisition order for more serving dishes before continuing, "Siberian woke up last night around midnight. He's feeling a lot stronger now and Norwegian brought some great new regeneration drug to help with his spinal injury. I'm sure he's going to recover fully at this rate! Isn't that great?" Peering up at the man, she was shocked to discover an expression that told her this was far from acceptable news as far as he was concerned.

With a dark and angry voice, Calico growled, "No, you ignorant little *bitch*, that is *not* 'great' by any stretch of the imagination!" Reaching out to grab the startled secretary by the wrist and insuring skin-to-skin contact, he yanked her from the chair and brought her to her feet in front of himself. Exerting his psychic gift of persuasion, he reached into her mind and rapidly sorted through her subconscious before picking out the one image that seemed most appealing for the evil act he suddenly wished to perpetrate. [1] 

With a sneer, the Scotsman added ominously, "In fact, that is really *terrible* news! If Siberian recovers you can give up on your unrequited love for Balinese forever, can't you?" 

Since early adolescence, the skinny, orange-haired Scotsman had discovered that if he was able to touch someone directly, he almost always had limited access to their mind as well as several different methods by which he could influence them. The nineteen year old could see his victim's hopes, dreams, and fears, and over time he realized he could twist the images he saw to convince them to do whatever he wanted them to instead of what their logical minds might have chosen. 

During his roughly five years as a fully empowered "persuader" he had convinced people to do everything he'd wanted them to from simple theft to rape, murder, and beyond. Calico silently prided himself on the twistedness of his own mind and he'd concocted punishments for people who either annoyed him or somehow threatened him that would've made the Marquis de Sade squirm uncomfortably. 

In short, he was a sick bastard who wallowed delightedly in his own perversions and he never hesitated to amuse himself at the cost of someone else's virtue or even their life thanks to his extraordinary abilities.

To Calico's unending annoyance, occasionally he had encountered someone he derisively referred to as a "null" who he not only couldn't read, but worse, he couldn't influence. On the very rare occasions that this happened, though, if his intended victim wasn't "open" to him, someone who cared for them was and he didn't mind finding a means to the end by torturing a stranger just to attain his vengeance for slights real or imagined. 

The orange-haired man had found precious few "nulls" amidst the Kritiker staff so far and he had felt confident he could work his "magic" as he called it on Sokoke even before he touched her. Even though a tiny ribbon of thought in the back of his mind railed angrily at Manx for being one of those beyond his powers, he remained focused on destroying a young woman whose only crime against him had been bringing him news he didn't want to hear. Of course, she had also been responsible for his eating lunch alone twice, so perhaps that was part of the self-centered and spoiled teen's motivation as well.

Trapped in the web of the Grün leader's psychic powers, Sokoke suddenly felt horribly depressed and teardrops formed in her eyes as she nodded slowly, then whimpered, "Of course, Cal." Sniffling back tears, she added in the words placed into her mind by the man who was controlling her, "How could I have been so blind as to hope that Balinese would find a plain, boring girl like myself attractive? As long as he has two wonderful men like Abyssinian and Siberian at his side, why would he want someone as worthless as me?" Tears flowed from her like fountains and she sobbed helplessly and collapsed against him.

Smirking as his psychic powers asserted themselves even more strongly, Calico petted her on the head and urged her quietly yet inescapably, "I'm so sorry, Sokoke-love, but we both know the answer to that question." The smirk darkened dangerously as teary eyes rose to peer at him seeking instructions and he added, "You know there's only *one* sure cure for unrequited love don't you, Sokoke?"

Shaking her head slightly, confused by everything around her except the warm pressure of Calico's hand on her arm, the honey-blond woman asked, "What's the cure, Calico? I hurt so badly right now, all I want is to be happy again."

Shaking his head as if he truly felt sorry for the tortured soul that was twisting in the cruel talons of his control, the orange-haired man said simply, "Suicide, my dear Sokoke. It's the only answer now, darling." Seeing both understanding and unexpected resistance in her eyes, he snarled harshly, "You've only got one means to express your love for that stupid blond asshole now, so why not go drive your car into a wall or something?" 

As he watched his victim translating his suggestions into commandments, the hazel-eyed man added pointedly, "The only other option you have available is murder-suicide and that would mean darling Balinese died, too, but you simply couldn't abide that, now could you, Sokoke?" He had ulterior motives for seeing to it that Yohji survived whatever the totally forgettable honey-blond secretary might end up doing, so he implanted a strong mental directive that she not kill the man he looked forward to torturing again some time in the future.

"Of course not, I'd never wish to harm him that way, he's too perfect and I'm too worthless," the woman answered in a voice that was as dry and vague as it could possibly be. Accepting the man's orders blindly as almost everyone that encountered him in this fashion did, she peered at him through damp eyelashes and asked, "Is there a particular wall I ought to hit to make him see how much I loved him, Calico?" 

The manipulative bastard used silence as a weapon and allowed her words and his powers to work together to drive her even farther towards madness.

Desperate for an answer, she reached for his free hand and thereby doubled the damning contact between them before begging, "Please, oh please, tell me what to do! I thought I was happy before when he told me he enjoyed my food and said I was pretty and everything, but now I know I was wrong and was simply lying to myself! What should I do, Calico?! What should I *do*?!?"

The Scotsman laughed cruelly knowing full well that his victim was past the point of rational thought thanks to his gifts and told her offhandedly, "It doesn't really matter, Sokoke. As long as you die tragically, he'll certainly see what you felt for him after it's too late." Moving so that they held hands fully, left-to-right and right-to-left, he added quietly, "But don't leave him a 'good-bye' note, of course. You wouldn't want him to feel responsible for your death, now would you, my poor, deluded friend? But you must also act quickly! Allow your determination and speed to express the strength of your love! Leave right now, Sokoke, and find a good place to die in a spectacular one-car explosion that will call the news media to immortalize your tragic end!"

Galvanized to action by the deceitful words and inhuman psychic powers, the honey-blond secretary teetered unsteadily as she released one of his hands to wipe at the tears which had formed, then nodded sadly, "Yes, you are right, of course, Calico." A strange, incomplete smile of appreciation her heart knew she truly did not feel crossed her face and she moved to place a final kiss to another living soul onto the deceitful man's lips and then she said, "I have to leave right now then. I wish I'd gotten a chance to say good-bye to Persia or Hideo or my family, but there isn't time now, is there?"

"No," Calico answered pretending to be serious and truly regretful of what he was about to do as he gave her trapped hand one last squeeze and imbedded his commands even deeper totally disinterested in the new name she'd just mentioned. With a false smile of sorrow for her upcoming death he added, "Go now, Sokoke! Go and tell the world how badly you loved a goddamned fucking bastard you could never have!" 

Accepting the commandments without question or hesitation, the woman suddenly released the Scotsman's hands and ran from the room in tears fully intending to follow his orders to the letter the same way any number of other people had also found their way into death's cold embrace. 

Watching her go, Calico chuckled humorlessly to himself and hoped this small act might bring pain to the eldest member of Weiss sooner or later. But even if it didn't, it had certainly been fun causing the woman to kill herself and he wasn't as bored as he had been the days before when she hadn't been there to amuse him at all. 

Whistling a happy tune to himself certain that his orders would be followed and that there would be a rather colorful case of "autocide" reported on the nightly news, Calico wandered off in search of the office that controlled the recordings from the security cameras in Persia's offices. [2] Not arrogant enough to think his psychic gifts could outclass modern technology, the Scotsman knew he had to erase the tapes which would show his damning conversation with the soon-to-be-deceased secretary. Having eliminated the evidence of many instances when he had successfully used his powers against the leader of Kritiker, he had no doubts he could do so again with impunity.

With an ease borne of experience, Calico persuaded the security personnel on duty at the time to let him erase the tape and replace it with footage that indicated the room had remained unoccupied during the time he had decided with utter caprice to send Sokoke to her doom. Unaware that she had left the diskette and note on Persia's desk that proved the falsehood of the new security records, he snickered and left Kritiker headquarters. As long as no one thought to review the tapes later and compare them to the fact that Sokoke had obviously been there as well as the dozens of other recordings that indicated Calico had been in the vicinity at the time, his treachery would go undetected like usual.

Making his way towards his favorite no-questions-asked bar, Calico fully intended to watch the late afternoon news coverage of the "late breaking news" about an attractive young woman's suicidal crash into a cement wall somewhere with a Guinness in his hand. After all, there was nothing to make an easy victory over a weak-minded female more enjoyable than a good glass of stout.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Calico's psychic powers were only barely hinted at previously and one of the main purposes of this Part is to introduce them fully by showing them in action the way he prefers to use them, evilly, of course! The inspiration for this particular set of abilities came from an episode of WB's "Smallville" wherein two of the apparently limitless kryptonite-spawned mutants that inhabit that community demonstrated similar powers to what I had in mind for the Grün leader. The fact that Clark's birthname is actually "Kal" and my cruel bastard's codename will frequently be abbreviated as "Cal" just now occurred to me and is purely coincidental.

[2] In case you wondered, no, I didn't coin the term "autocide" which refers to the act of suicide using an automobile as a weapon against oneself. Sadly, this is a common phenomenon amongst certain groups of people in the US and elsewhere who wish to be sure that their heirs will still receive life insurance payments despite the anti-suicide clauses added to their policies.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 40 & 41 will be posted together. 


	41. Shocking News Brings Sorrow and a Missio...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 41/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 4. time: 0900-1235 hours. ++

*****

The fourth morning after the incident that left Siberian fighting for his life found his friends and lovers fairly relaxed and in good spirits as the five assassins were granted a previously denied request for a group visit in the intensive care unit.

Ken was propped up on a mound of pillows that aided his breathing and allowed him to see the two men he loved as well as the pair of blue-eyed teens he felt closer to now than before. Relaxing as comfortably as he could despite the great deal of pain he continued to endure, he enjoyed listening to them talk about what had been going on lately. After Sokoke's wonderful meal had left all of them feeling better than they had been in what seemed like a very long time, the afternoon and evening had been uneventful in great part due to a total lack of interest in anything outside of their private world.

Blissfully unaware of the tragedy set in motion by a warped and hateful individual, the four men who were staying at the Hilton had returned there and enjoyed the type of deep, restful sleep that they still needed more of at that point. It had been an equally notable relief for all involved when there were no memorable dreams to be discussed over a sumptuous, European-style breakfast in the hotel restaurant before returning to the familiar halls of Tokyo General.

A cold morning drizzle had greeted them as they had made their way back to the hospital, a change in forecast presaged by the prior morning's red-tinted sky. Even as they sat with their brunette friend and talked, Omi couldn't help but be glad the chocolate-eyed teen hadn't been subjected to the depressing images of Tokyo dressed in shades of gray that they all noticed on their way over from the hotel. 

At one point Okazaki had politely interrupted to ask Ken if he was tiring and did he need to rest, but the former athlete insisted he was fine and since it was clear the presence of his friends made him feel better, they weren't asked to leave. Smiling shyly to himself as he thought about the honey-blond secretary he was looking forward to seeing around lunchtime, the nurse made his way back to the desk where Javanese was having a rather intense discussion with the newly arrived Manx. 

Not wishing to disturb the two Kritiker agents since they might be taking care of official business he wasn't a part of, the nurse quietly made a few notations in Ken's chart one of which was a recommendation that the teen be moved to a private suite soon. Thankfully, the injured man's condition had finally stabilized and begun to improve so most of the monitoring devices were no longer needed. It was too soon for any improvements due to the use of KNT-0201 to be observable, but everyone shared Norwegian's optimism regarding the nerve regeneration drug and it was easier now to foresee a complete recovery than it was before.

Behind Okazaki, a woman's voice greeted him belatedly. "Good morning, Hideo." Manx said in a tone that implied carefully restrained emotion.

Turning to face her with his typical shy smile in place, he answered politely with a small bow of greeting, "Good morning to you, too, Manx." Not wishing to pry yet filled with a sudden sense of apprehension he added, "Is there something wrong?"

A darkness crossed the blue-green-eyed woman's face and she nodded as she said without explanation, "Yes, I'm afraid that there is. Please come with me, I need to debrief my team and since Javanese is going to be busy taking care of some things for me, I'd appreciate it if you were available should there be any problems."

Apprehension converting to fear as he realized that the kinds of difficulties she was alluding to could include a repeat of the earlier disaster with the young sable-haired teen or something worse, the man nodded and followed her to the open doorway to Ken's room without saying a word.

Several sets of eyes glanced up in response to their arrival and Omi immediately realized something was horribly amiss since the usually colorfully-dressed woman was wearing a dark, conservative suit, with atypically sensible shoes replacing the usual heels. Reaching instinctively for Nagi's reassuring hand and clutching it in his own, the cerulean-eyed teen asked fearfully, "Who is it and what happened, Manx?" The only times he'd ever seen the woman dressed as austerely as this had been at the funerals of various Kritiker agents who had lost their lives in the line of duty and he feared the worst as he added in a small voice, "Is it Persia?"

With a look of sorrow and apology for distressing him so much, she shook her head and said, "No, Omi, this isn't about Persia, but it is about someone you'd gotten to know recently." With a sad sigh that hinted at anger, she asked, "Have any of you been watching the news lately or seen the paper?"

Yohji had been comfortably lounging against a wall and now moved to stand where he could be more ready to react should the situation call for it, and he answered for them all, "No, Manx, we haven't. We hung around here pretty late last night and then came back directly from the hotel this morning." With a frown of concern, he encouraged her to say what she had come to say and he added, "Why not stop beating around the bush? We can all tell you've got bad news, so just tell us what it is, all right?"

Nodding and realizing it was the best approach, she pulled out a folded-up copy of one of Tokyo's best morning newspapers, then opened it and held up the front page for them all to see. 

Splashed across the entire upper-fold of the paper was a brightly colored photo of what appeared at first glance to be just one of the dozens of tragic yet usually unremarkable auto accidents that afflicted any large, modern city. The flaming wreckage of a vehicle had been compressed against the unyielding surface of a familiar concrete retaining wall not too far from Kritiker headquarters and there were numerous small objects scattered across the roadway as firefighters were desperately trying to extinguish the blaze.

Violet eyes narrowed with realization that Manx wouldn't be acting this way if this wasn't important, Aya took a closer look at the image captured on film by a questionably lucky tourist and finally shook his head in annoyance since he didn't recognize the license plate. With a voice dark with certainty he wasn't going to like the answer, he asked, "Whose car is that, Manx? I take it the driver didn't make it out alive based on the headline, but who was the victim?"

In fact the headline was rather vague, something along the lines about a horrifying accident disrupting afternoon rush hour, but it held enough information to only add to the impact when Manx admitted, "This was Sokoke's car, Abyssinian. She died late yesterday afternoon." 

"WHAT?!?" Yohji exclaimed and glared at the image as if it had to be a hoax.

"Oh, no!" Omi's brows drew together in instant unhappiness and he felt his stomach contract inside him as a rush of grief for his new friend washed over him.

Startled that he, too, could have such a strong reaction due to receiving word that a woman he barely knew was dead, Nagi blanched a little yet forced himself to stay focused since he knew he couldn't afford to pass out at that point. He quickly switched the positions of his boyfriend's hands into his own so that he was the one providing the strength yet said nothing, he was too busy processing the swirl of emotions in his heart.

With a growl, Aya moved to pull the paper from Manx's hands and he quickly scanned the article as Ken spoke up to say, "I just met her yesterday, Manx, but the guys told me a lot about her. She sounded really nice, I'm sorry to hear this."

Calmed only slightly after the shocking announcement, Yohji had been reading over Aya's shoulder and then encountered a piece of text that re-ignited his anger as he demanded, "What the fuck is this crap about her committing suicide, Manx?! That girl had everything going for her, that's total bullshit and a slur against the dead!"

"I know, Yohji, I know," the redhead agreed with an equal amount of anger of her own. Then she explained for the benefit of the three teens as well as the nurse who had kept his own feelings of shock and horror private, "The police reported that the only car involved was hers and it had been driven straight into a head-on collision with a retaining wall. There's not too many ways to interpret an accident like that and short of radical mechanical failure that can't be substantiated yet, the only logical explanation is suicide via automobile."

The look of crushing horror on Omi's face was shattering and Nagi quickly wrapped an encouraging arm around his boyfriend then accepted the paper he silently requested when the elder members of Weiss were done examining it. As the two teens looked at the image together, tears formed in cerulean eyes and the elder of the pair cried silently, grieving for a new friend lost to a senseless death. 

Yohji continued to fume angrily and Aya didn't seem much better off as he stroked his long golden earring with an expression of darkness on his face that indicated how disturbed he was as well as the fact that something seemed distinctly wrong about what he was hearing. 

Watching his two partners in sad confusion, Ken felt worse than helpless since he was unable to appreciate fully why the two men that he loved were so profoundly affected by this piece of news that seemed tragically commonplace to him.

Unnoticed by anyone in the room, Okazaki was deeply saddened that the vibrant young woman he'd met the day before and had invited to share his kitchen on a spur of the moment risk of the heart had been lost to them all. With a steadying breath to attempt to insure his voice would be in a normal range so as not to add to anyone's discomfort, he asked tentatively, "Were they able to do anything for her so she wouldn't suffer?" As a healer, one of his first concerns was the amelioration of pain and knowing full well an accident of this sort was fundamentally unsurvivable, he hoped that aspect at least had been minimal.

With a bit of relief mixed into the anger and horror in her eyes, Manx nodded and turned towards him to say, "She died on impact, Hideo. Which is an extremely good thing." With a deep shuddering sigh of revulsion she admitted, "I've already seen her body at the morgue at KMC this morning. If her skull hadn't been crushed by the steering wheel the way that it was, she might've endured some of the fire that practically destroyed the car and that is a far worse way to die."

Unable to remain quiet any longer, Omi sobbed openly, disturbed not only by the Kritiker agent's frightening words but also by something in the newspaper photo he had continued to stare at through tear-filled eyes. Pointing an unsteady finger at the image he asked in a voice choked with misery, "Is that what I think it is, Nagi-love?"

"What, Omi-koi? Where?" Nagi cuddled the taller youth closer to himself and tried to figure out what his boyfriend was talking about, then picked the paper up and held it closer, turning it slightly as he gazed at the debris around the wreckage. With a gasp of recognition, the psychic felt a sudden pain in his own heart as he confirmed what the shuddering blond in his arms had seen and telekinetically handed the paper off negligently to anyone that reached for it before he soothed, "Yes, koi, I see it. Shh, shh, Omi-love, remember what Manx said, she didn't suffer."

Curious since he had only a vague idea why the others were reacting this strongly, Ken looked at the image himself and noted any number of broken serving dishes, plates, bowls, and the sundry items needed to transport and serve a large meal. But try as he might, he couldn't tell what had upset his youngest teammate and he shrugged as Yohji joined him in trying to decipher the mystery. 

Finally jade eyes spotted a rumpled and smoldering pile of white paper some distance from the car and after recognizing it, he said quietly, "Omiitchi? I see it, too. Sokoke had kept the bouquet of origami flowers you made for her, hadn't she?"

"Y-y-yes," Omi stuttered around his tears then exclaimed miserably, "Those were the last flowers anyone ever gave her and they weren't even real!"

"Yes, they were 'real', bishounen," Yohji reassured gently as he moved to crouch in front of where the two teens sat together, Nagi's misery growing as the blond teen continued to mourn. Placing a warm hand on Omi's cold and shaking arm, he added with quiet confidence, "They were probably more 'real' than most of what people give each other from the Koneko! You put your heart into making them for her, bishounen, and she truly loved getting them. There's nothing more 'real' than that."

"He's right," Aya agreed sullenly, his own feelings not as confused as usual, knowing that a woman who had reminded him of his sister had died in a car wreck was much too close to his own past to ignore. With a barely restrained ferocity, he added as he turned an icy amethyst gaze on Manx, "But I don't believe for one minute that she committed suicide. If the body is at the morgue at KMC, is it safe to assume there's an official investigation into what happened already underway?"

The redheaded woman looked annoyed and shook her head despite her words of affirmation, "Yes, but just barely, Abyssinian." The use of the codename was all that any of them needed to realize that the high ranking Kritiker agent was clearly in a mission-mode of her own. After feeling certain they were all listening to her carefully, she added with a hint of shared treason, "However, when I went to talk to Persia about it before coming here, he said that there wasn't any point to wasting time and money on an obvious suicide case. He specifically refused to order a full investigation. I don't know *what* he's thinking, but all he wanted to allow was some standard blood work on the corpse and a routine mechanical diagnostic check on the car's brake system."

"You're fucking kidding me!" Yohji exclaimed angrily, hands clenching automatically due to a desire to go and face the man he used to trust implicitly and demand an explanation. He glanced at his scarlet-haired partner who had also risen to his feet and noticed that Aya's muscles were tightly bunched as if he was ready to race out the door himself and he refocused on the woman and asked knowingly, "But you've got something else planned, haven't you, Manx? What's your back-up protocol to get around this?"

Blue-green eyes filled with a combination of slyness and apology for needing to move beyond her previously revered boss' specified limits, she nodded, "Of course, Balinese. I've spoken with Norwegian who is understandably upset since she was under his command at the time of her death, as well as the fact that he'd grown fond of her and he's willing to take the risk to go farther. We've got numerous biopsies planned immediately before the body is transferred to the KMC crematorium as Sokoke's family requested this afternoon. Since we'll be the last people to see her body before it's destroyed, we won't have to explain anything." 

Shaking her head and sending oddly too-bright red curls dancing across her dark-clad shoulders, Manx sighed then admitted, "But there wasn't much we could do about the car, though. I'm afraid that the mechanics aren't as able to violate the rules without getting caught as we will be, and I can't order someone to risk dismissal or worse for deliberate insubordination."

Violet eyes scanned all those assembled as the Weiss field-commander tried to size up his own resources regarding the task at hand and he found there didn't seem to be much his team could offer for a change despite unwittingly including Nagi in the assessment. It just seemed natural to Aya to count the pair of midnight blue eyes raised in silent offer as one of his own to command without truly realizing what a tremendous leap of faith he had just experienced. 

The lack of mechanical knowledge and talent pertinent to the situation displeased him on a fundamental level as well as a personal one, but the swordsman wasn't foolish enough to try to bludgeon skills into people that simply weren't intended to have them. Furthermore, if Persia had some specific reason to block the investigation, he would rather deal with that directly instead of trying to work around it and his mind was already forming a plan of attack that might be more successful.

Voice cool and commanding, Aya spoke clearly as he not only offered what he felt his team could give, he also set limits as to what he wanted those around him to try to do. He stated, "I intend to go to headquarters and find out what this is all about, Manx. Balinese and Bombay will remain with Siberian, unless you have a problem with this approach?"

Shaking her head uncertainly, the redheaded woman answered, "I don't have a problem with it, Abyssinian, so we'll give it a shot. But if Persia won't listen to *me* about this issue, I have no idea whose advice he *will* accept."

In a voice dark with the anger he felt at being told to stay behind despite realizing that in the event of an emergency Ken might need both himself and Omi as well as an innate sense of something that he didn't understand, Yohji snarled, "That's a good question! *Whose* advice indeed!" Somehow an image of a hated freckle-flecked face appeared in the back of his mind, yet he shook it away, the last person he wanted to think about right then was that arrogant bastard Calico. 

After casting him a glance filled with trepidation and confusion only to see an inexplicable expression of deep-seated hatred and fear on the jade-eyed man's face, the violet-eyed man softened his tone slightly as he added the one person he'd not mentioned yet and asked, "Nagi? Could you assist Balinese?"

Nodding firmly and not finding it strange to take orders from Aya, the Schwarz psychic agreed eagerly even as his warm hands continued to provide comfort to his distressed boyfriend through simple skin-to-skin contact, "Consider it done, Abyssinian."

Having remained quiet since he was tiring and not because he considered the matter to be unimportant, Ken finally spoke up in an exhausted voice as he asked, "Is there anything else we can do from here, Abyssinian?"

The Weiss swordsman's expression gentled visibly and Aya slipped out of mission-mode long enough to step up to his lover's bedside and squeeze the brunette's hand briefly in what had gained meaning as a reminder of his heartfelt avowal of love. Seeing chocolate eyes peering at him sleepily, he said simply, "You just rest and get well, Ken. That's what we all want more than anything else."

"All right," the recovering teen agreed and then added, "Good luck, love, for everyone's sakes. I'd hate to think that Sokoke's death might not be fully explained."

"Same here," Yohji added in a less ominous tone than he'd spoken in prior and then nodded to Aya one last time, saying, "We've got everything covered here. Go deal with Persia, Abyssinian."

Returning to mission-chilled tones the scarlet-haired man responded, "Roger that, Balinese." 

With a separate glance to each member of what Aya felt was his team of the moment, he tried to share what he felt. To Omi he gave a confident gaze that said if anything could be done to find out the truth about the unfortunate death of the woman who had succeeded in finding things his too-slender boyfriend would eat, he'd see to it that it happened. To Nagi he offered only a look that said other issues had not been forgotten and if possible they'd be dealt with soon, too. For Ken whom he regretted leaving, there was only love and support. Lastly, to the man he had yet to fully express himself to, he had a mixture of appreciation for his unwavering support and a touch of apology, he could see that Yohji himself wanted to be involved in the matter for reasons neither understood.

Violet eyes then turned to blue-green ones and he and Manx moved together to exit the intensive care unit hoping that Aya could succeed where the woman had failed. A false hope to put it mildly, there was someone else involved in the situation they'd never even find out about at this point, yet they would do what they could.

Those left behind fell into a sad silence and the two blue-eyed teens quietly sat close together hands still intertwined even as the exhausted brunette stopped fighting his need for sleep and slipped into a peaceful slumber. Ever faithful, the eldest member of Weiss stood watch over those who were currently under his protection not willing to let any other shadow of malignant sadness infect their ranks.

Eventually, Javanese would request that her patient be left alone to sleep more for the sake of those around Ken than for the injured man himself. Yohji alternated his location between the intensive care unit's waiting room, the desk where Korat replaced Javanese midday, and the smoking porch. Somehow the unexpected death of a new friend had triggered the return of almost overpowering nicotine cravings and it was all he could do not to chain smoke during his brief times standing outside in the cold November rain that once more held Tokyo prisoner in its watery grip.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 40 & 41 will be posted together. 

This angst-laden posting run is dedicated to some *very* special people! Granted, the dedicatees are *always* "very special", but these folks happen to have just put the biggest smile on my face right now and I can't resist praising them to the heavens above for it! And what makes this even better, is the fact that most of what they are being saluted for is right there in plain sight at fanfiction.net in the reviews for this fic. Those many kind words are becoming a body of work in and of themselves that is evolving into a veritable textbook on how best to get muses to keep working a writer night and day since getting such in-depth and supportive comments are better than anything imaginable at this point.

So, who takes it? Whose reviews reign supreme?! 

{tries to suppress all future "Iron Chef" jokes and doubts that's even possible then continues by listing the four dedicatees in alphabetical order to avoid making it look like favoritism as to who goes first. actually, technically "favoritism" is impossible since the llama loves them all equally, but that is neither here nor there and he rushes to write how nice these folks are}

****

Cat (who joined the fic when there were already 29 Parts up and wasn't scared away by the challenge of reading all that, oh no! In fact, she got into it really deeply and sent me the greatest note and now is posting some fabulous reviews! What's even better is that Cat accepts and endorses the fact that we *all* tend to act "OOC" at times and Aya's weirdnesses from time to time haven't put her off, they are, after all, a reflection of a terribly stressed-out individual trying to cope under in difficult situation. Oh, and in case you read her comments to Part 39, allow me to point something out: When someone who is named for a feline indicates that they perceive a rodent in the area, you should *trust* them!!! Damn, but she's got good instincts! {genki smile of delight that Cat's so *good* at this game!})

****

e.e (who is easily someone who has found a warm place filled with special feelings in this llama's heart!! This marvelous person takes the time to stop and give commentary on each and every part as it is being read and this makes it all the more powerful for me as a writer to see what is working best at any given point and guides me wonderfully that way. Further, like Cat, there's a distinctive ability to pick out the things that are coming and make me smile that the foreshadowing is operating as it should! As for Sokoke and Okazaki getting together, gomenasai, e.e, that'd be a little hard now, but at least they almost became an item, ne? I mean, she *did* think of him right before the end and all. {sniffles sadly then goes back to gushing} Anyway, I really look forward to seeing what e.e has to say and I'm glad she's sticking with the story until the hopefully not-too-bitter-end! {warm smile of gratitude})

****

Priscilla (who causes me to stop and sigh blissfully in appreciation for her every word before I can even begin properly. How can I even begin to tell you what this lovely soul means to me? She loves my story, she praises my chibi, she worries about my characters, she worries about my family, she writes comments for every Part without fail…? I mean, how could *anyone* begin to cope with such overpowering wonderfulness? {sighs happily and tries to find a few words before that blissful warmth of thinking of her as well as the other three dedicatees lures him to sleep on his keyboard again} Anyway, let me just say that Priscilla is someone whose name I actively seek out when checking my reviews and I'm honored and probably not worthy to be able to find it so often! {deep, respectful bow and a smile of appreciation})

****

Yanagi-sen (whose words of inspiration and insightful comment are often wonderfully private yet she still chimes in at fanfiction.net delightfully, ne? Overall, there's not enough kind words in an entire unabridged dictionary for this lovely person and even if I invoked a second dictionary in a foreign language to search for more, I'd most likely fail. She's too wonderful by far, ne? What else do I adore her for? Well, she's got all this lovely new work since the First of the Year that I am *dying* to read and as soon as this fic-from-hell-via-Melpomene is over, I plan to beat a path to her archive at fanfiction.net, pull up a comfortable box of Pocky and read until my eyes break! {hopeful smile filled with light caused by pleasure yet to arrive knowing that as long as it's something Yanagi-sen wrote it's gonna be *great*!})

{ends the dedication gushing and then goes back to worrying endlessly about the shift in the story}

Well? Did this latest turn of events surprise you? Did it upset you? Do you hate me now? 

{wrings hands nervously and hopes the answers are "Yes, yes, and no" but can't be sure then explains the purpose and plan that brought this twist into the story now}

I sincerely hope that Sokoke's sad and regrettable death has served its purpose which was to show you what a truly malicious and utterly reprehensible little scumbag Calico can be but oddly enough, we haven't seen him at his worst yet. Neither have we seen enough about him to know *why* he acts the way that he does or what unknown and possibly tragic events in his own hidden past caused him to become the way that he is. But for now, though, he is shifting back into the background where all good OCs need to be when not promoting the main characters and the plot. 

Oh, and in case you were anxious to meet the other members of Grün, gomenasai, but they're off practicing their hunting skills on unnamed yakuza stooges in Osaka just like Sokoke told you. Will they *all* be as nasty as their leader? Some of them will be, but since everyone is different, you can bet that at least one of them would rather not be there in the first place and for him, at least, the wholesale slaughter of minor mob figures is currently leaving him terribly disturbed.

{yawns sleepily and hopes this is enough of an explanation note as an apology for having an almost all-OC Part tonight then signs-off}

That's it from the Casa de Llama, amigos! Here's hoping everyone enjoyed this twist as much as they could and will send comments or post reviews at fanfiction.net so Melpomene will get another dose of ambrosia and not do this again any time soon, ne?

Hasta Mañana! 

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is thrilled beyond words that the review count at fanfiction.net has almost broken the 260 mark! he feels incredibly grateful to all the dear friends who continue to post kind words there early and often, thereby bringing energy to continue to strive towards completion of this story so we can *all* move on to lemony fun soon!) 

Posted 12 March 2002, ~4:00am.


	42. Abyssinian's Afternoon and Floral Messag...

Greetings and welcome to Angst Theatre's premiere performance of "Cold November Rain".

Before we get started, let me first promise that tonight's posting run won't be anywhere near as emotionally draining as last night's was, in case you were worried. There will be plenty of lengthy comments about my response to the overwhelmingly wonderful notes and reviews about that in the end-notes of this posting run, but right now I'd like to get things started, it's going to be a busy night! 

{slips on Vicious' tux, turns on the marquee, then hands you a playbill with a smile}

Our performance opens with an oversized Part 42 that opens with a look at Aya's afternoon away from Tokyo General and the steps he takes to cope with some unwanted frustration even as he works to care for those he treasures. The second portion of the opening Part is a look at what happens when he returns to the company of his lovers and friends and how they react to a rather important decision he made that holds deep symbolic meaning for them all. Part 43 is much smaller than its partner here is and is comprised of a scene wherein Nagi decides he needs to go home soon but when he and Omi go tell their friends about it, they encounter a grieving and frustrated Norwegian.

{tries to stifle a yawn but can't, it's later than normal since this posting run received a green light *very* late at roughly 2am llama-time and the fic writing beast is tired even as he hopes that you will---}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who thinks marvelous Priscilla has a great idea about a side-story based on Kenken's kinky little dream image! and since it is a *dream* and not reality, it could include a 100% healthy and fully functional chocolate-eyed man who is, after all, the dreamer and we all know that a person does things in a dream he or she would never *think* of trying in a reality setting, ne? {evil hentai wink})

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 42/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 4. time: 1400-1700 hours. ++

*****

The afternoon would be half-gone before Aya would return to Tokyo General Hospital and he would arrive with unsatisfactory news which would be at least partially eclipsed by the tangible objects he brought as well.

Without a doubt, the meeting with Persia had gone badly and the scarlet-haired man felt angry and confused by the man's total refusal to expand the investigation into Sokoke's death yet only offered reasons to explain the decision that made precious little sense to Aya. Of course, he had no idea that the leader of Kritiker's first visitor of the day had been an orange-haired teen who was utterly delighted by the many dejected expressions he saw on the administrative assistants that surrounded Persia, tearfully exclaiming their dismay about the death of their friend. 

Calico had added his own entirely false words of regret for the loss of the life of one so young and promising before he asked for a private word with his superior. Previously "persuaded" to always grant anything that the Scotsman might request, the bearded man agreed without question or hesitation. When the nineteen year old left his office five minutes later, orders were sent out to limit the examinations of the woman's badly burnt corpse or the compacted vehicle that had carried the talented secretary-cum-chef to her death.

When the leader of Weiss arrived several hours later, of course, none of the mournful people at Kritiker headquarters thought to mention that the leader of Grün had been there as well since the field-leaders of virtually every team they had had been expressing their concern about the event. Granted, Aya's opinion of Calico was one of simple hatred since the Scotsman irritated one of his lovers so badly, but if he'd known the truth about what happened in Sapporo it would have been an entirely different matter, bloody retribution might have occurred sooner. 

As it was, though, the scarlet-haired man had prepared to leave Kritiker headquarters filled with negative energy and regret that he would return to his teammates and friends with only confirmation of what Manx had told them without improvements. However, as he approached the redheaded woman's office intending to inform her that he was leaving alone rather than waiting for her to return from working with Norwegian, inspiration struck.

After jotting a brief note to inform Manx of his intentions, Aya made his way through the dismal rainy afternoon to a nearby subway station and soon found himself stepping through the private back entrance to the Koneko no Sumu Ie. Not surprised to see that the shop was closed due to the inclement weather that always caused Momoe's arthritis to flair up, the violet-eyed man went about gathering changes of clothing for himself, Yohji, and Omi. Focusing on practical matters helped to give his mind a break from his other worries. 

As he was selecting a few things for the youngest member of the team, it occurred to him to check to see if there was anything for Nagi to wear as well. Thanks to assisting Ken with laundry duty from time to time, Aya recalled that there were a few articles of clothing in the back of Omi's closet that had either shrunk over time or that the Weiss archer had outgrown that might suit his purposes. Without so much as a smile of self-congratulation for having thought of it, the violet-eyed man pulled out some gray slacks and an ivory button-downed shirt and packed those for use by the Schwarz telekinetic. 

Once he had several duffel bags filled with various items that might give them all more comfort than the ones selected randomly by the courier Manx had sent several days prior, the swordsman turned his attention to other matters. 

Since the flowershop had lost much of its schoolgirl patronage with the four bishounen gone, there was a surplus of various lovely flowers available and the urge to create a few arrangements overcame the man for whom flower-arranging had a therapeutic effect. Letting his mind wander as his hands selected various blossoms and sprigs of greenery, Aya neglected to think about his relationships with his two lovers yet didn't fail to think about the men themselves. 

Quickly assembling several replications of the two arrangements that Yohji and Ken were best known for as well as a few of his own, Aya carefully added pricing information in his own distinctive and precise kanji. He signed his name as arranger more boldly than usual knowing the fangirls would select the new bouquets based on that alone. He half-smiled to himself and wondered why he was bothering, yet somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that they still needed to keep up appearances to protect their secret identities. 

It occurred to him to place a note on the window explaining that Ken had been injured in a motorcycle accident since that was the cover-story they had agreed upon, yet didn't since that would only lead to offers of visits from hysterical groupies that simply weren't needed. Instead, he left a private note mentioning to the elderly woman who worked with them that they would be in touch when things had improved.

After taking care of what he considered his duty as far as the business was concerned, Aya turned his attention to showing his devotion to two people he loved in very different ways. The expression of his feelings was to be given form partially in response to Omi and Yohji's earlier discussion of what giving flowers truly ought to mean and he hoped his offerings would be acceptable.

Returning to the work table which was still scattered with ribbons and blooms of various types, long nimble fingers went to work creating yet another arrangement but this time it wasn't one of a preplanned nature. Blooms of deep somber hues were chosen and tucked carefully into a small, multicolored basket that featured the tints of an autumn sunset, as Aya prepared an offering for a girl who wouldn't even see them.

Once he finished the carefully controlled, serious bouquet, an actual smile graced the Weiss swordsman's lips as he selected a fairly large and decidedly decadent vase which was of Venetian origin. The hand-blown vessel sparkled and shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow as well as a few that Yohji laughingly labeled as being "not found in nature" when Ken had invested in the expensive vase at an antique sale a few months prior. Several of the wealthier patrons of the shop had considered using it for arrangements that were intended to demonstrate their affluence more than their taste, however Aya and Yohji had always talked them out of it. They preferred that it stay where it was in the rounded corner window display where their lover could continue to enjoy seeing it.

Now, however, the vase's true destiny was to take shape and the scarlet-haired florist gladly gathered together a wide variety of sumptuously colored, wonderfully fragranced blossoms and sprigs of greenery to fill it. Disregarding cost or any other concerns that might distract him, Aya worked on the most important arrangement he'd made in a very long time. 

After a pleasant half-hour's effort, the violet-eyed man decided he was well pleased with his last two creations and he boxed them up carefully before sweeping up the mess he'd made and making sure he left the shop neat and tidy for whenever Momoe decided to reopen. 

With a nod of satisfaction, Aya hung his light green apron back on its hook and went to load Yohji's car with clothing and the two flower arrangements, noting with satisfaction that the vehicle had indeed been thoroughly cleansed as Manx had promised. He left the flowershop behind without regret since paying attention to the people he cared about most overshadowed anything that had to do with making a profit.

En route to Tokyo General, the violet-eyed man made a brief visit to a comatose young woman in another hospital altogether. [1] He had sat beside the silent girl and told her of recent events, apologizing for neglecting her, but expressing confidence that she would understand. After placing the autumnal bouquet where it could be enjoyed by the medical staff if not by the patient herself, he allowed himself to think of nothing at all as he drove through the chilly drizzle so that he could be reunited with his lovers and friends.

As he pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, it never occurred to Aya to see if the borrowed red Ferrari that Omi had pointed out to him once before was still there or not, why would he care if Schuldich had attempted to reclaim it? Nagi certainly didn't seem to care but if the telekinetic had been concerned about it, the scarlet-haired man would've taken the time to check for him. 

Finding a parking spot that suited him, Aya left Yohji's roadster with the clothing in the trunk and carried a large flower-delivery box in both hands as he made his way passed the security station at the front entrance. He nodded in acknowledgement of a silent greeting from the pair of Tokyo police officers he'd encountered four days prior during the dramatic entrance that he and his lovers had made when Aya had carried Ken's broken and badly bleeding body wrapped in his own burgundy trench coat. In one of those disconcerting moments of history repeating itself, it occurred to him that previously he had entered dripping with his lover's lifeblood and now he was dripping rainwater, an improvement but not as much as arriving dry and warmed by the sun would've been.

The older of the two men raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry as to the condition of the man whose care they had attempted to facilitate. In answer, Aya turned the box so that the transparent display panel faced him, brightly colored flowers speaking in the eternal language of hope. A smile crinkled the skin at the corners of the older man's eyes and it was all the confirmation the younger of the two needed to know that their wordless conversation was over.

As he continued towards the intensive care unit, Aya wondered if Ken had been relocated to a regular patient suite yet or not, and made a quick call to the hospital's patient-coordinator only to discover that he had indeed been moved. Armed with a room number, 646, he redirected his feet and soon arrived upon a reassuring scene.

Inside a fairly spacious room, the leader of Weiss found the younger of his two lovers laying in a treatment bed propped up on a small mound of pillows with his elder lover nearby since Yohji had claimed a small stool placed there for doctor's visits. On the other side of the bed, two visitors' chairs were set close together and were occupied by a pair of blue-eyed teens who both looked up in greeting as Aya walked in.

"How'd everything go, Aya-kun?" Omi asked nervously, knowing full well that the look on the man's face told him the answer wasn't a happy one.

Before he could answer, though, the jade-eyed blond glanced at the watch that concealed his deadly wire and noted it was after four in the afternoon before he commented quietly, "You were gone quite awhile, Aya. Ken was getting worried." There was no condemnation in Yohji's words, only a totally unsubtle hint to not get too deeply involved in discussing things of a less than hopeful nature since they needed to stay focused on helping their brunette lover heal. As much as discovering whether or not the honey-blond secretary's death was truly the regrettable decision of a tortured soul who wished to end her own life meant to all of them, helping to aid the man whose pain-filled brown eyes gazed at Aya from the bed meant more.

Nodding in acknowledgement of and agreement to his blond lover's implied directive, Aya answered both at once, "There's not much news from Kritiker, Omi, and I'm sorry I was gone so long, Ken, but I decided to go to the Koneko to take care of a few things." With the secretive smile that brought some of the warmth back to chocolate eyes, he held out the large floral delivery box, transparent side deliberately hidden from view, and added, "I brought something for you. Would you like to see it?"

Ken was more pleased that his violet-eyed partner had returned than he was interested in the pink box with the highly stylized kitten peeking out of a flower bud on the side. Nevertheless, he answered with all of his usual sincerity since he really wasn't one to conceal much of anything in the first place, "Sure, Aya. Flowers are always nice, but I really *am* glad that you're back."

"I'm glad to be here, too, Ken," the scarlet-haired man responded truthfully, not bothering to disguise the fact that this was the simple truth. After setting the large box down carefully onto Ken's bed, Aya opened it up hoping the time spent while he visited the other hospital hadn't caused any of the blossoms to droop. Then the violet-eyed man withdrew the arrangement he'd enjoyed making and held it where everyone could see it before moving to hold it slightly above the cast on Ken's left arm where the injured teen could see it more easily.

The unexpected display of love and devotion included a prodigious array of colors and textures that directly violated most precepts of good business for florists since it boasted of luxurious amounts of many of their most expensive blooms and Ken knew it. 

Having recovered a little of his earlier energy yet mindful of the ebony-skinned nurse's frequent reminders to take it easy, Ken carefully propped himself up more as he found himself inundated with soft petals and sweet scents that happily reminded him of home. Despite the oxygen tubing that continued to stream enriched air to his nostrils, the brunette's quiet exclamation of delight as he enjoyed the fragrances he had previously taken for granted was as straight forward as he himself typically was. 

With a delighted yet soft smile, Ken exclaimed quietly, "Thank you, Aya, they're beautiful!" His expression warmed even more as he recognized his favorite vase, the colorful hand-blown glass piece he hadn't expected to be lucky enough to hold onto as long as they had since he was certain some wealthy dowager would've selected it by now. The thought occurred to him that Aya shouldn't have wasted the expensive antique on him, but he assumed incorrectly that the scarlet-haired man intended to clean it up and place it back in stock later. Actually, a few weeks later the colorful container would reappear in the kitchen window of the Koneko where it would store various cooking utensils and allow Ken to enjoy seeing it several times a day even as it reminded him that he was well and truly loved.

Not precisely beaming with self-satisfaction, yet openly pleased to have brought forth one of the smiles that he and Yohji had craved during their absence, the violet-eyed man answered, "I'm glad you like them, Ken. It's not exactly an arrangement I'd ever want to try to replicate--or pay regular retail for considering the number of Peruvian Irises I unintentionally added to it--but as long as you enjoy it, I'm satisfied." [2] 

Chocolate eyes were wide and blinked in astonishment as Ken wondered what had prompted his lover to waste flowers like those on himself but before he could ask such an obviously unnecessary question, he noticed something else far more worthy of note. As Aya turned the much loved Italian vase slowly in front of him for his perusal, he noticed a less disorganized spot within the arrangement and made a motion with his free hand for him to stop. 

With a tender expression on his handsome yet tired features, Ken reached out to slowly trace his fingers over a cluster of flowers, lovingly caressing the softness he would miss working with on a daily basis during his extended recovery period. Almost as if they were children instead of simple plants, he called them by name in turn as his fingertips brushed over the petals, "Prussian Blue Gentians surrounded by Golden Mist Freesia, Fantasie Pink Cattleyas, tiny Champagne Roses, and Royal Blue Peruvian Irises. [3] Are you trying to tell us all something here, Aya?" The slight roughness that found its way into his voice reflected the raw emotion and gratitude that were filling his heart.

The man responsible for the floral display merely remained silent a moment as Omi finally gave into curiosity and he moved to see for himself, uttering a classic, "Awwwe! How sweet!" When he saw what Aya had done he had recognized the significance of the gesture immediately and it filled him with delight.

Equally curious yet unhappily clueless, Nagi rose and peered past Omi's shoulder even as Yohji moved closer so he could see more clearly and he, too, added words of praise and encouragement, "Well done, Aya. An excellent selection for him, too."

The beams of delight that radiated without hesitation or excuse from Ken's being showered everyone in the room as he gazed from Yohji to Aya to Omi and then at Nagi who still peered at the flower arrangement in confusion. With a small chuckle, he asked, "Nagi? Do you like them?"

Shrugging slightly and accepting his boyfriend's silent invitation to move closer, the Schwarz telekinetic soon stood beside the bed and regarded the brunette apologetically and offered, "That's certainly a bright bouquet that smells really nice, Ken-kun, I like it a lot." He fidgeted a bit then after noticing that they were all giving him expectant smiles and added, "But if this is some of that 'secret meaning of flowers' stuff, I'm sorry, I don't know any other than white lilies stand for death and red roses stand for love."

"That's understandable, Nagi," Yohji smiled and took over the explanations so that Aya wouldn't be forced to explain himself and Ken wouldn't be tempted to speak too much, his lung capacity was still too limited for extended conversation, "but what we're talking about is far more private than that, anyway. You see, we each have a favorite type of flowers and somewhere along the way, we all kinda started getting identified by them, too."

Noticing that he was the center of attention and being surprised he didn't find it as uncomfortable as he usually did, the sable-haired boy nodded, then asked insightfully, "Let me guess, some of the flowers Aya-kun chose are those favorites, right?"

"Right," the jade-eyed man encouraged, then continued, pointing each out as he went, "Kenken's favorites are the blue gentians there. See? Omiitchi's are the freesia right here and here. Aya likes roses and he doesn't really care about the color usually, but these little off-white ones are really nice, don't you agree?"

Nagi nodded agreement and asked, "Since those are all in a cluster together, does that mean yours are the pink orchidy-looking ones or the thin blue ones, Yohji-kun?"

"You've got a good eye, bishounen," the lanky blond complimented than added thoughtfully, "I never really thought of myself as a 'pink' kinda guy, but I'm with Aya on the color thing, so I guess it doesn't matter. You're right, mine are the pink ones, they're cattleyas. What we're talking about are the royal blue ones. They're Peruvian Irises and I believe Aya is asking if you mind if we temporarily assign you a flower, too?"

Blinking in understandable surprise, Nagi cocked his head a little and said, "Those are fine, Yohji-kun. I don't know anything about flowers, really. But what does the arrangement mean then if the blue ones are me?"

Yohji's smile warmed again and green eyes flitted happily between his two lovers as he explained, "You see how he's surrounded a small bunch of gentians with the flowers that represent all of us? This is kind of like 'Koneko-code' to indicate we're all here for Ken and each other at the same time." He shrugged elegantly and enjoyed the minor look of embarrassment on Aya's face at having it put so bluntly when the flowers seemed to have said it so eloquently on their own. Then Yohji added with a smile of remembrance, "It's kinda corny, bishounen, I know, but we've been doing stuff this way pretty much ever since Manx got us started as florists for cover identities."

"I see," Nagi nodded sagely as if this should have been obvious from the start even though it wasn't. Then he thought about the fact that Aya had taken the time to stop and go to the trouble of selecting a flower to represent himself, and he found it brought a warmth to his heart as he asked, "Aya-kun? Why did you pick this particular one to represent me? Wouldn't a plain, inexpensive flower like a tulip have done the job just as well?" 

Trying not to make anyone even more uncomfortable yet not willing to miss a chance to bolster Nagi's self-esteem, the scarlet-haired man replied, "I chose Peruvian Irises to represent you because they are not only beautiful, they're rare and greatly treasured as well." The fifteen year old blinked in astonishment at him and this pleased Aya immensely and he then inclined his head toward Omi and added, "But if you don't agree with what I mean by that, feel free to ask your boyfriend about it someday. In the meantime, is it still acceptable that I designated them for you at the moment?"

Shy smile on open display for all the world to see, the diminutive psychic nodded and answered hopefully, "Certainly, Aya-kun. At least, it is if Omi-koi likes them, too?"

"Oh, I *love* them, Nagi!" The cerulean-eyed teen smiled brightly at his beloved partner and added, "I think that Aya-kun chose the perfect ones to represent you, too. They're really pretty and, like he said, they aren't common at all. A *very* special flower for a *very* special person!" Nagi blushed slightly as Omi leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. 

Ken and Yohji chuckled softly while Aya continued to smile in his secretive yet satisfied way before returning to showing off the arrangement he'd created in honor of the one they'd almost lost. Conversation was sparse for awhile, it was unneeded as the five close friends allowed a spectacular collection of flowers to express their feelings. 

Through the simple act of agreeing upon a particular bloom to represent their midnight blue-eyed friend, the men of Weiss had made a subtle yet meaningful gesture towards truly integrating the Schwarz psychic into their lives more fully. Peruvian Irises had previously been ordered only infrequently but as long as they represented Nagi in their minds, somehow at least a few of them would find their way from South America to the Koneko no Sumu Ie on a weekly basis. 

Granted, Aya was in charge of placing the orders for flowers and supplies for the shop and if a day ever came that another flower was found to be preferable for the task he'd gladly change the order. Then again, he wouldn't be very surprised a week or so later when Yohji asked about adding a lavender apron in the same small size that Omi wore just in case a certain someone felt like learning how to arrange those same flowers one day. 

Eventually the lavish bouquet would find its way onto a windowsill in the otherwise boring white hospital room where it would patiently await a return of the sunshine that would dance through its many colored surfaces and brighten the room. For now, though, it simply sat and granted its own cheerfulness as the chilly drizzle continued to roll unabated down the window pane.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Technically, this may be considered a spoiler by some people, but in all honesty, if I didn't send Aya over to check on her at least once in this fic it would mean he's even more emotionally inept than I intended to imply. Please note that at least I didn't say directly who she is preferring to stick to the "unnamed injured female" of the original series opening, but I believe that almost everyone knows who this is anyway.

[2] The breed of imported irises mentioned here are a rich blue with flagrantly hirsute petals like deep velvet. They were extremely expensive the last time I saw them for sale and to imagine usually cost-conscious Aya shoving them in among inexpensive daisies, carnations, assorted foliage, as well as pricey name-brand roses with abandon makes for an interesting image, ne?

[3] For all those of you who aren't familiar with the "image flowers" concept, the assassins of Weiss were given specific flower types to be listed as their "favorites" from the very beginning and they are used symbolically in the anime series at several points. I won't try to explain why they were chosen, but since some of my readers here are not primarily WK fans, I thought it might be nice to share a little "series tradition" with them since it's assumed knowledge in many other WK fics without explanation.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 42 & 43 will be posted together. 


	43. Prodigy's Decision and a Physician's Sor...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 43/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 4. time: 1700-1735 hours. ++

*****

After the group of friends had sat in companionable silence for awhile, Nagi had felt a little restless and asked his boyfriend if he wanted to go for a walk with him to explore the sixth floor of Tokyo General if nothing else. Omi had agreed willingly and the two bid their friends a brief farewell before walking out of Ken's room, hand-in-hand as usual since they'd decided to ignore such inconveniences as refraining from public displays of affection during this rare extended period of time together. 

Awakening in each others arms for several days in a row had been far more wonderful an experience than either could have predicted and it only encouraged them to seek physical contact all the more. The sense of warmth and reassurance it gave them to have one another's quiet words of affection and love as their greeting upon returning to the waking world was one of the infrequent bright spots of the last few difficult days. Now, though, simply sharing the warmth of palm against palm and the rhythm of bodies in motion as they walked seemed to be a great blessing and they quietly enjoyed it as they traveled along pristine hospital hallways. 

Coming upon an open and airy room with large windows that would be a very nice solarium when there was sunshine again, the pair stopped and stood together, gazing out over the rain-washed hospital parking lot far below. 

With a slight sigh of regret, Nagi asked quietly, "Omi-koi? Now that Ken-kun is doing better and seems to be recovering well, would it be okay if I went home soon?" Keeping deep blue eyes downcast as he attempted to see if Schuldich's flame red Ferrari was still there, he added, "I miss Schu and Farf, um, and Crawford, too, I guess. I wonder how they've been doing without me?" 

Questing lapis lazuli eyes finally spotted their target and the sable-haired teen was understandably surprised that the brilliantly colored Italian sportscar was indeed still where it had been placed after he had driven Omi back following the frightening search he'd been sent on a few mornings prior. Unfortunately, it never even occurred to Nagi that the expensive imported vehicle had been left there as a result of a deliberate decision made by his German friend, a man who only wanted whatever was best for his young friend whom he missed greatly by that point. 

The small smile of relief that grew when he saw the car faded quickly, though, as it occurred to the diminutive telekinetic that when he drove it back to the Schwarz penthouse he would most likely be facing various punishments and new limitations for his numerous transgressions. 

Nagi wondered how long it would be before he could be with Omi again. With Weiss deactivated it wouldn't occur on the urban battlefield but to be able to meet at the café where their friend worked would've been nice to look forward to. He correctly assumed it would be quite awhile before they could hold hands again since he'd be fairly behind on his school work and more. Of course he didn't have an excuse to give for his absence that would convince Crawford to sign a note for his teachers about it for him, but he wasn't thinking about that just yet. On top of that, he anticipated a mountain of Schwarz paperwork was awaiting his attention as well as whatever household duties he needed to see to, something else that depressed him a little but not enough to deter him from wanting to go home.

Peering at the boy beside him, the blond teen could see that his boyfriend was feeling torn in two separate directions by his love for himself plus the members of Weiss and the need to see those who had taken care of him since childhood. Even though he would've liked to tell him that he'd rather that Nagi gave up that life entirely in favor of moving in with him and his teammates, Omi answered, "I understand, Nagi-love." Giving the too-thin hand he held a gentle squeeze, he added, "They're your family just like Yohji-kun, Aya-kun, and Ken-kun are mine. I'd hate to be away from them and out of touch as long as you have been from Schwarz."

Wincing at the reminder that he was returning not only to friends but also to a lifestyle that held less and less appeal after watching those who loved the brunette assassin suffering over the last few days and fearing he himself might face the same someday, the sable-haired boy nodded. With sadness, he answered, "I still don't know why they haven't tried to call me on my cell phone but I've kept my shields up against Schu this whole time, maybe they're angry with me for blocking them out?"  
Omi shrugged a little and then encouraged him by repeating an earlier thought, "Or maybe it really *is* the way that I suggested. Maybe they know you needed to be gone to take care of something important and that you'll come back when you can." Seeing the look of disbelief in Nagi's eyes he pointed out, "After all, love, didn't you once tell me that if they *really* needed to find you they could? Awake, asleep, or unconscious, Schuldich could track you down if he chose to even if it would leave him pretty drained for awhile?"

Nodding slightly as he recalled a conversation that had been initiated after Omi had expressed concern when Nagi told him about a mission he'd been on where he'd overused his powers early on defending himself and had passed out but was tracked down by his telepathic teammate just the same. The fifteen year old psychic admitted grudgingly, "That's true, koi. He said something weird about following my 'flavor' or some nonsense when I asked him about it." His mood lightened and he looked up at his partner and asked, "So, you really think they trust me after all? I mean, if Crawford hasn't come to get me, I guess that's the only explanation, right?"

The blond smiled confidently and suppressed a desire to mention there were far less optimistic reasons he might have gone unsought the way he had such as a disaster had hit their team much as it had hit Weiss or worse, they no longer wanted Nagi in their midst. Ignoring those unsavory thoughts, he nodded in agreement, "Absolutely! I'm sure that they'll be glad to have you home, Nagi-love." He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend and gave him a brief embrace then stated simply, "I'll miss you, of course, but I wouldn't want you to stay here and be miserable worrying over them, love."

"Thank you, koi," Nagi said quietly, leaning into the hug for a moment and then straightening as a nurse rolled a man in a wheelchair into the room to allow the elderly patient a chance to look at something other than the four sterile walls that a stroke had condemned him to. With a glance at the man who smiled back at him lopsidedly due to the typical one-sided paralysis that accompanied such an affliction, he added, "Maybe now would be a good time to go back to the others, Omi? We might as well let them know that I'm thinking of going home soon."

Cerulean eyes smiled sadly at the man in the wheelchair who had already lost interest in the two teenagers since he found the sounds the rain was making more intriguing, then agreed, saying, "Yes, that would be a good idea, love." As they walked from the room he asked, "How soon did you want to leave, Nagi?"

With a small hint of rose on his cheeks, the diminutive telekinetic answered, "Um, I was thinking tomorrow morning might be good, Omi. Since we still have that really nice suite at the Hilton and all, I thought one more night together might be, um, uh, nice?"

It took a moment for Omi to realize the direction of his beloved's thoughts. When he connected Nagi's slight blush with the mention of the hotel rooms that they hadn't done much more than sleep and bathe in, he felt surprised yet pleased by the implication that they might use the suite for something less platonic that evening than they had so far. With a hopeful smile and an even deeper blush since he knew what role he wanted if such an opportunity presented itself, he offered, "Why don't we plan to go out to dinner together tonight then? I can borrow Yohji-kun's car if we want to go somewhere other than staying around here and then we can go to the Hilton and, uh, um, watch a movie or something?" 

The only thing keeping the conversation as light and nonspecific as it was were the numerous nurses, patients, and visitors in the hallway with them, but neither youth truly believed there was anything half as worth watching on television as one another's handsome face lost in passion. 

With an expression filled with anticipation and a happiness that hadn't been there only a few minutes prior, Nagi agreed, "I'd like that a lot, Omi-koi. A relaxed evening alone together before I go home would be *more* than wonderful!" 

Omi smiled gratefully and then they walked on in silence, intending to return to their friends quickly so as to act on their romantic plans. As they stepped into Room 646, however, much of their anticipatory delight faded as they saw someone had joined their friends in their absence. 

Uncharacteristically slouched in a visitor's chair and looking distinctly defeated and miserable, Norwegian was debriefing the elder three members of Weiss regarding the situation with Sokoke whose body had already been reduced to ashes after extensive samples had been taken. There had been no physical evidence found during the gruesome procedure that might point to the true events of the previous day and it had left the portly physician feeling frustrated and incapable, something he had just stated aloud.

Feeling a rush of sympathy for the man who had been somewhat of a father-figure to him for as long as he could remember, Omi spoke quietly and said, "That's not true, Norwegian. I'm sure you did everything you could for her."

Glancing up with sorrowful gray eyes, the older man shook his head slightly and disagreed, "I don't know about that, Omi. I didn't know the girl well, but I know that there was nothing in her psychological profile to indicate Sokoke had ever shown even the slightest hint of suicidal behavior." He shook his head again and added with frustration, "I can not accept that she killed herself yet I have seen nothing to contradict it so far! If only I was better at analyzing a situation like this, I might be able to relieve her poor mother and father of carrying the guilt of believing they had a child who has killed themselves this way."

The gray-eyed man's voice dropped off as his mind filled once more with the too fresh memory of facing her family to deliver the secretary-cum-chef's ashes to them. Her mother, aunt, father, brothers, and cousins had all made the journey in from their home in a distant suburb to collect the physical remains and while the women cried, the youngest teen present had fought tears as well. This was the young cousin who was roughly Nagi's age whom Sokoke had helped after his father had died and to now lose the woman who had been far more important to him than a cousin usually was had been a terrible loss. 

Norwegian had spoken to the family members about the honey-blond woman's wonderful gifts and contribution to not only Kritiker but also to many others, emphasizing the fact that she had been a generous and giving soul, someone who would be greatly missed. He truly regretted not having a chance to get to know her better and hated himself for the fact that she died while under his command even though there was nothing he could have done to prevent Calico's capricious evil from controlling her. 

As a physician who had saved countless lives over a lengthy career who faced his second almost inexplicable death in a very short time, Norwegian was feeling like a total failure. He had even let his typical genial smile remain absent as he sat where he was for a moment and silently prayed an ancient Shinto prayer of peace for the dead. 

With a tone that indicated this conversation wasn't helping matters, Yohji urged compassionately, "I'm sure Sokoke didn't commit suicide, too, Norwegian, but why not wait for the results of the samples you and Manx are getting analyzed behind Persia's back?" Thinking of his own emotionally trying experiences lately, he added, "Assuming the worst is no way to handle a difficult situation, we all know that by now." Jade eyes flitted across the other assassins in the room and they silently agreed with him and the topic was allowed to be dropped since it was only adding to the air of unhappiness that would do Ken more harm than good.

The much older man glanced up and followed the looks being exchanged by those around him and nodded slowly before returning to a contemplation of his own dismal thoughts. 

The case that had arrived at the Kritiker Medical Center emergency room which had resulted in the first mysterious fatality had caused him deep concern since no rational cause of death had yet to be found. However, since the body remained in cold-storage in the morgue there for further study, he hoped to have plenty of time to analyze the results of an autopsy scheduled for later in the week. The loss of Sokoke's body, however, meant the samples that were currently en route to a Kritiker research lab in Yokohama were his only hope for finding the answers he was sure were there to be had if they looked.

Nagi and Omi glanced at one another in misery. Seeing the usually jovial physician looking so downcast and unhappy bothered the two teens terribly even though it had yet to sink in for either of them how much he reminded them of a perpetually cheerful figure of European legend even the Japanese had come to embrace. Then again, Christmas was over a month away and by then they might not even think about it. 

Sadly, even the pair of blue-eyed assassins knew that now was not the time to share the encouraging phrase that had become something of a rallying cry for this unique group of five young men. No, saying "Ganbatte!" at that point would've seemed almost sacrilegious and thus the room lapsed into an uncomfortable, morose silence for several minutes.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 42 & 43 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to all the wonderful people who have written to me either directly or have left a review at fanfiction.net expressing their shock, horror, dismay, and occasional delight following last night's posting run! 

{throws massive amounts of Pocky into Cyberspace thanking each and every one of you with a profound bow of gratitude thrown in for good measure}

I must say that I am quite relieved that the reception for this turn of events is exactly what it is -- inspiring! There were times when I was writing the angst-laden scenes that were offered last night and kept feeling as if this would be a non-event, that readers would simply say, "That's okay, Sokoke's just a made up character anyway, not a series regular." Then they might laugh and add, "Plus, since OCs are a dime a dozen, as soon as she's dead, the llama will simply deliver another one to take her place and everything will be cool again, no biggie!"

Of course, that would've been an unmitigated disaster and since it didn't happen all I'll say about it is that deliberately creating a lamb to send to slaughter was painful and hard. So *not* hearing that has made my soul soar above the clouds where it can absorb more energy and hopefully provide you with even more entertainment! Oh, and the other thing I'll say about it is that I rarely create a character just for the hell of it and if you think I can just whip one up, guess again. It takes time and contemplation as well as a really serious inner search for the new OC's method of highlighting the main characters as well. Hence, at least part of the reason that you aren't meeting the rest of Grün just yet is that they need to finish being built to suit the tale "Redirecting Destiny" seeks to tell. 

{smiles tiredly, this entire posting run was going to be delayed a night due to fatigue, but after that great reception it would be cruel and unacceptable to not send something at least marginally more hopeful, ne?}

By the way, let me answer a couple of common questions/issues raised since last night and then I *really* need to go get some sleep! 

[1] Will Calico get his "just desserts" any time soon? {evil smile} I'm terribly sorry, but this little orange-haired menace is only beginning to give you a full demonstration of his potential for evil and can't be killed right now. In fact, what he did to Sokoke was fairly merciful compared to a few other things you will discover that he has done and will do in the future, so prepare to enjoy loathing, hating, and despising him for some time to come. *However,* when his usefulness is finally at an end, you can bet good money that a certain scarlet-haired man's katana will drink long and deep of his blood, you have the word of a llama on it! As to a brunette's claws doing the same, I'm afraid not. By the time it all goes down to the wire {stops and chuckles darkly at the possible foreshadowing in *that* little phrase} Kenken won't be able to help and the reasons why boggle the mind.

[2] What will become of poor Hideo? Was he only there to be shy and sweet then get his heart crushed by the death of a woman he barely had a chance to meet? As mentioned above, an OC must have a role to play beyond a simple shadow yet this gentle man remains something of a mystery to Melpomene. She wants to send him off on a depressed man's drinking binge--preferably at Calico's favorite bar--and leave him dead somewhere, but luckily Calliope (that's my muse of epics in case you were wondering) thinks he might be useful for something later. What do you as a reader think? Would you like the quiet, 30-something year old man from a fishing village to remain part of the greater ensemble cast of CNR or not? I wish that fanfiction.net had a polling feature to allow an easier answer, but in the meantime, please let me know? Thanks a lot in advance for settling this for me! Right now *you* hold his fate in *your* hands instead of me. Scary, ne?

[3] Omi's origami bouquet was so sweet and poetic and now we have another set of floral surprises in the form of Aya's arrangement for Ken as well as Nagi being given an "image flower", but what does it all mean? Basically, these are here to do several things. First, they are to remind the reader that the men of Weiss are florists as well as assassins and flowers hold great meaning for them. Second, Nagi's Peruvian Irises are a way to herald a long-term and subtle change in his roles that I hope to work in over the next few stories. Last, they are symbols for so many things I can't even begin to collect them all here for you. Suffice it to say, there's another floral-related symbol in Part 43 that ties back to something Yohji told Korat awhile ago and if you spotted it the way beloved Yanagi-sen undoubtedly did, sugoi for you! 

[4] "Mission-Aya" {pauses, laughs a little, and asks Beth if she got hers--from Hasbro no less!--at eBay so the llama can have one, too, then gets serious, sorta, again} is *so* sexy! Can we see him doing something soon in a fic rated NC-17 where that power and angst might go towards a lemony direction? Hehehe! Sure thing! I was planning on this for "Scars" and even though "mission-Aya" will not exactly have a loving attitude at first for his blond partner, he will later! Plus you can bet that I have a very good idea of how he and "sensitive and unsure-Aya" might end up being expressed in the same story and possibly lead to him saying those "three special words", too, if he doesn't get around to it here first!

{stops being a tease, yawns a lot, then goes off to post and archive this so people can see why Persia is being such a damned fool lately}

Hmm, poor Persia. Used like a robot by the worst person who ever stepped foot in his office and, yes, that *does* include Takatori if he ever dared to drop in! In fact, I need to deal with how a creep like Calico got to be part of the crème de al crème of Tokyo's crime fighters some day, but not now. I'm too tired for it and it belongs inside the fic anyway, no da!

Ja ne!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is *really* dragging now and might need to take a night or two off to get the next few Parts ready so instead of feeling guilty if there's a little lapse then he apologizes now and shuffles off to bed before he wakes up with tiny squares on his face again from the keyboard that isn't half as comfortable as a pillow!) 

Posted 13 March 2002, ~4:15am.


	44. Discussing A Surprisingly Painful and Re...

Greetings and welcome back to the Angst Theatre's debut performance "Cold November Rain"!

{stops trying to be artificially genki, takes off the clever CG-created "happy llama" mask, sighs, then sits down miserably on the proverbial corner of a deadend street before saying three of the words he most hates to hear from his own lips}

I give up.

{drops head into hands, feels despondent then realizes this sounds more drastic than it probably should and explains}

Before you take this the wrong way, no, I am *not* giving up on completing this Angst Epic since I promised it would be told in its entirety and it *will* be but *not* in the fashion that I had intended to. Basically, the primary source of my current sorrow is that this story remains incomplete as a rough draft, something I had hoped to have done before resuming posting runs. However, if I stay quiet and don't release some more now I'll feel continue to feel guilty and lonely, you will feel justifiably annoyed that what looked like a short intermission lasted over a week, and worst of all my muses will remain angry with me and not come back! 

{continues to look defeated, then adds the warning about more OOC-ness from the llama coming up soon}

So, to avoid all of those end-of-the-world scenarios, I've decided to go ahead and resume sharing this with you but doing so in a manner that doesn't sit well with me since I like to deliver plenty to read on a regular basis. I'll go into the details about this in the end-note instead of here, though, so you aren't bummed out by any of this while reading the story, though, okay? It's angsty enough on its own tonight anyway.

{sighs, forces himself to his feet, skips putting on Vicious' tuxedo since he's feeling unworthy of the white-haired bishounen's ceremonial battle garb, lights the marquee and hands you a playbill}

Tonight's performance opens with Part 44 which features the long-awaited discussion between Norwegian and Nagi regarding what might be wrong with the diminutive telekinetic and how to address those issues with commentary from all four of the men of Weiss at various points. After the angst of that particular moment passes, Part 45 allows the threesome of florist/assassins to comment on their reactions to what has been revealed as well as to make some plans of their own about how to help someone who they've grown quite fond of. 

There is a very small Kleenex alert courtesy of my warnings muse, the ever adorable chibi Lauren for Part 44 which left her sniffling slightly and repeating over and over, "Poor Nagi! Oh, *poor* Nagi!" Personally, I happen to think our midnight blue-eyed boy got off easy since this is only the tip of the iceberg, but when she explained her thinking on the matter I had to agree and hence this warning has been added in case anyone needs it.

{shrugs, hopes this was worth the wait but since it answers that loaded first question from the intermission teaser list, it ought to be of some use, right?}

Once again, welcome again to my humble playhouse and *please* --- Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who isn't thrilled with what you'll encounter in the end-notes but after wracking his itty-bitty pea-sized brain this is the best he can come up with)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 44/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 4. time: 1735-1800 hours. ++

*****

Deciding to offer a topic of conversation that seemed safer after the few moments of uncomfortable silence had passed, Omi cleared his throat nervously and said, "By the way, everybody, Nagi has decided he needs to go home soon." He peered at the quiet boy beside him and added, "We thought if it was okay, we'd go out to eat later and then just spend a little quiet time together. Unless of course, we're needed here, that is?" His questioning tone was directed towards the recovering patient in the bed and it was a simple enough thing to see that if Ken so much as frowned, they would cancel their plans for a romantic evening without hesitation or regret.

The chocolate-eyed teen, however, wouldn't have dreamed of interfering with his two young friends enjoying some well deserved time alone and he encouraged them, "That sounds like a good idea, Omi." With a warm smile for the petite sable-haired boy he added, "Nagi? It's been really nice that you could stay as long as you did. I hope you won't get into any trouble for being away from, um, uh, home so long." Ken almost mentioned the rival assassin team by name, but realizing that his blond teammate hadn't referred to it as Schwarz meant he probably shouldn't either and he was glad he'd caught himself before he'd made an error like that.

Nagi's shy smile somehow brought itself back and he answered noncommittally, "It doesn't matter if Crawford's angry or not, Ken-kun. I wanted to stay as long as you or Omi-koi needed me." With a slight sigh, he added, "But if nothing else, I need to get back to school soon or my grades will drop. Crawford might eventually forgive me for being away but if he ever had to report to our superiors that my studies were failing, he'd be all over me in a heartbeat."

Yohji's soft growl of annoyance was hidden only by the fact that he turned away but he did so in time to see an expression of displeasure on his violet-eyed lover's face. Both men wanted to invite the telekinetic to move in with them for a variety of reasons, but now that they knew such a fundamentally idiotic overemphasis on grades existed in Nagi's life, they wanted it even more. However, as always, they both knew that this was something for the two teens to decide and not them, they forced themselves to say nothing about it.

Not involved in the silent conversation between his two paramours, Ken commented tiredly, "Do whatever you think is best, Nagi. Like I said, I'm glad you could be here while you were and if you and Omi have a date planned for tonight, I hope you have fun." His honest smile was broken by a small yawn and then he allowed the others in the room to take over the conversation since he needed to try to remain quiet as per Korat's earlier instructions.

Sensing an opportunity to bring up a topic that might be missed if the Schwarz psychic left their company soon, Norwegian pulled himself from his own unhappy thoughts with some effort. The Kritiker physician stood and approached the two teens, asking, "Before you go out for the evening, might I have a moment to ask you a few questions about your health, Nagi?"

The sable-haired youth felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach as he realized a situation he'd deliberately avoided was no longer escapable and he agreed hesitantly, "Um, I guess so, Norwegian. But, Ken-kun seems to need to rest, maybe you, Omi, and I should go somewhere else to talk?" In point of fact, he hoped to take the conversation away from the suddenly intense attention he was receiving from the eldest two members of Weiss, but there would be no such luck for him that day.

"I'm not *that* tired, Nagi," Ken complained from where he lay against his small mound of pillows. Then he added in a tone that indicated he'd be hurt if the answer was other than what he wanted, something no one in the room would allow at this point, "Besides, I heard you passed out the other day and I was worried about you just like everyone else was. Please stay?"

Nagi fidgeted uncomfortably until he felt a warm hand wrap around his own suddenly cold one and he glanced up into encouraging cerulean eyes and his resistance melted as usual and he agreed, "All right, Ken-kun, we can stay here since you want us to." Swallowing nervously and being afraid he'd be expected to submit to another embarrassing physical exam with an audience, he then asked as neutrally as possible, "Where did you want to start, Norwegian?"

Pleased to be receiving as much cooperation as he was, the doctor gestured towards the unoccupied bed on the other side of the room and Nagi approached it nervously, sitting on it gingerly yet feeling better as soon as Omi hopped up to sit beside him supportively. 

The portly physician smiled genially at the show of dedication and love between the two teens and then asked, "Tell me, Nagi, do you often black out the way that you did the day before yesterday? I'm concerned about that as well as a few things that Korat mentioned to me earlier."

Eyes shifting nervously to one side, Nagi nodded and answered quietly, "Actually, I do tend to pass out fairly often, Norwegian." Unhappy midnight blue eyes rose to gaze at fatherly gray ones and he explained, "But it's usually after I use my powers too much. I always figured it was one of the prices I paid for being able to do something most people can't. It's no big deal."

"Hmm," the portly physician frowned and asked, "Was that the reason given to you at some point by an actual *doctor*, son? Or just an observation of your own?"

Fear rose within the diminutive telekinetic as he reflected on the types of medical personnel he'd encountered in the past through Estet. He knew full well that none of the sadistic creatures who worked for the dark organization were anywhere near as qualified as the man who was so concerned about him, yet he found it hard to answer the question honestly. After thinking it over for a moment, he offered, "Well, I've been seen by some, um, er, uh, 'experts' who deal with people like me on a regular basis. They never really said anything much about it since it hardly ever endangered my teammates or anything." He shrugged and added, "I mean, as long as no one gets hurt because I fainted it doesn't matter, right?"

Norwegian's previous expression of displeasure darkened considerably and he shook his head firmly, "No, that isn't correct at all, Nagi." He placed a warm hand on the boy's trembling shoulder hoping to calm him and explained, "There are people who care deeply about you, son, and you've got to understand that they don't want you to suffer for *any* reason. This may be a part of your life that some others might be able to ignore, but I know for a fact that Bombay as well as his friends were all quite concerned about you."

"I know," Nagi agreed in a small voice and glanced at his feet unwilling to face all the worried looks he was receiving. With a deep sigh since he felt trapped and couldn't escape it, he finally asked, "So, if it really *is* a big deal after all, what am I supposed to do about it?"

The doctor gazed at the boy and wished he could suggest a few days at Kritiker Medical Center so he could run a comprehensive battery of tests, yet knew instinctively that was out of the question. Choosing another option, though, he answered, "The first thing I think ought to be done would be some blood work, Nagi. It would be very helpful if we could determine your basic level of health to start with."

Shaking his head sadly, the Schwarz psychic refused, "No. I'm sorry, Norwegian, but I can't let you do that." With another deep sigh, he explained, "If I come home with needle marks on me I don't know what might happen. My teammates aren't as caring as Bombay's are, but I know for a fact that Schuldich wouldn't hold back if he thought I'd been doing drugs or something."

"You?! Taking *drugs*?! Why on Earth would anyone suspect *that*?" The doctor blinked in surprise, it hadn't occurred to him that the boy's teammates' opinions might enter the discussion much less that they might take a direction like this. 

Nagi looked away and shrugged negligently, then answered with a sorrow he usually hid, "Because he went down that road when he was my age and he's terrified that I might make the same mistake." He missed entirely the expressions of those around him in response to this admission, something he wouldn't have made if he hadn't developed an implicit trust for the five men with him at the time. With a voice that was older than his years, he explained, "Before Omi-koi and I ran into each other the first time at the café, I was pretty depressed most of the time. Schu caught me with my mental shields down one day when I wasn't thinking too sensibly and before I could hide it, he spotted that I was thinking about doing something pretty stupid since one of my friends from school had given me some stuff to try."

A warm and reassuring arm wrapped around his too-slender waist and Nagi felt grateful that he and Omi had discussed this issue at length previously. Both understood that was something that wouldn't happen again, there was too much good in their world now to throw it away on a foolish act like that in search of a few hours of numbness. 

With a slightly stronger voice, the embattled youth continued, "So, if I came home with needle marks on me, even ones that were pretty well hidden, I'm sure that Schu wouldn't hesitate to force his way through my shields entirely and try to get at the truth." Shaking his head sadly, he added, "No matter what else happens to me, I *don't* want a frustrated telepath mind-raping me! Schu wouldn't mean to hurt me, but he's absolutely fanatical about this issue and if he thought I was hiding something, he'd dig out *all* of my secrets and I don't want to imagine what might follow *that*!" 

A visible tremble shook Nagi's frame as an image of Omi being severely injured or even killed by one of his teammates in retribution for their relationship crossed his mind's eye, it was something his nightmares revolved around much too often as it was. If it hadn't been for the caring, supportive arm around him at that moment, he might've been tempted to break down and cry after making the admission. 

Norwegian's earlier expression of surprise had converted to shock and he suddenly felt afraid for the miserable boy in front of him and he asked, "Are you *sure* that returning to them is such a good idea then, Nagi? If you fear for your safety and sanity over something as simple as a little blood work, it seems to me that you live in far too dangerous an environment to tolerate."

The tortured expression on Nagi's face spoke volumes and it was clear that none of this was easy as he answered, "I *have* to go back, doctor, they're my *family*! Crawford saved me from a life that wasn't worth living, I owe him. Schuldich only has my best interests at heart, I'm sure of it, it's just this one thing that makes him nuts at times, that's all. And Farfarello just needs me to be there for him." His expression calmed a bit as he thought of the amber-eyed man whom fate had treated so cruelly and he added, "Poor Farf, he must be so lonely without me there to keep him company or take care of him when he needs it. No, I'm sorry, but I really do need to go home soon." The final sentence was spoken with greater determination than had been in his voice earlier and it became clear his mind was made up about the matter.

Unwilling to remain silent any longer, the unhappy teen's boyfriend spoke up finally to assure, "Of course we understand, Nagi-love." Omi forced a smile his heart didn't feel onto his gentle features and stated more firmly, "And if you say 'no' to the blood work, that's all there is to it. Maybe there's something else we can do instead. Norwegian?" He glanced pleadingly at the doctor and knew this wasn't going well by the uncharacteristic frown on the man's usually warm and happy face.

For his part, Norwegian was feeling distinctly disappointed with himself not only as a healer but also as a friend and guardian to the young blond teen who peered at him so entreatingly. There was no doubt in his mind that most of Nagi's health issues were far too deep to be diagnosed without invasive techniques, but if that was out of the question he'd have to find another approach. 

With a heavy sigh, the frustrated physician finally nodded acquiescence and asked, "All right, Nagi, if you're absolutely certain about that we'll think of something else." Seeing an expression of relief on the boy's face, he decided to go about getting at least some information through questioning and he hoped that the atmosphere of honesty would continue. 

Over the next few minutes the doctor asked a variety of questions most of which revolved around eating habits and general health topics like sleeping patterns and stress levels. It was all Norwegian could do not to become visibly irritated with the men he'd never met that Nagi referred to repeatedly as "his family," the members of Schwarz seemed to do a uniquely poor job of caring for the boy. 

The discussion uncovered the fact that Nagi frequently consumed only one good meal a day, the fairly robust, traditional Japanese breakfast he prepared for himself which went unserved on the days he wasn't feeling well enough to prepare it for himself. The telekinetic had attempted to claim that the evening meals he and Farfarello cooked together were fine, but upon closer examination it was determined that these were hit-and-miss events that occurred with unpredictable frequency. Within the discussions of nutrition, though, there were subtler elements that caused concern yet Norwegian waited until the discussion ended to go over everything he was beginning to suspect.

Another issue that caused the doctor's blood to simmer was the lack of a solid sleep regimen yet since this was partially due to spending late nights on the Internet chatting with Omi, he intended to keep his comments on that topic limited. After all, if the young couple only got to be together physically infrequently their time together that way was doubly precious and he felt it shouldn't be discouraged, especially if he was going to try to find ways for the blond to assist his love from afar.

Regarding the disturbingly frequent periods of unconsciousness there was very little that could be determined without a more thorough examination of Nagi's medical history, the pattern of the events, and a better understanding of the impact of psychic powers on the human body.

There was a sense of relief for not only Norwegian but also for Aya and Yohji when Nagi mentioned that Schuldich was quite protective of him when he couldn't take care of himself. Granted, the telekinetic himself had no idea how very deeply his redheaded teammate truly cared or the lengths he'd gone to in the past to shelter and guard his frail friend when Nagi needed it most, something that might have pleased the Weiss assassins even more. 

Last but not least, Norwegian had asked about issues pertaining to emotional health and the stress levels the sable-haired youth faced trying to be not only a high school student but also an assassin who was romantically involved with someone who was technically the enemy. Nagi hedged the most on these topics, eyes flitting away in search of anything to look at that wasn't the concerned gray-eyed doctor's face. His answers became somewhat rambling and disjointed and it was clear to all those present that he was minimizing things in the hopes of not making Omi feel guilty. 

Instead of having that effect, however, all it did was cause the cerulean-eyed teen to feel even more protective of his delicate love and he finally put an end to the discussion by saying, "Excuse me, Norwegian, but isn't this enough?" He received glances of gratitude from his boyfriend and teammates, all of whom had grown distinctly uncomfortable with the way Nagi seemed to be suffering as he tried to conceal the depths of his personal hell caused by living too many conflicting lives. With a hopeful expression, Omi asked, "Can you tell us anything about how to help Nagi now, please? We really *do* want things to be better, you know."

The Kritiker physician nodded thoughtfully despite not being entirely pleased with the outcome of his questioning since there was so much more blood work could have told him. With a small frown of uncertainty, he answered, "Well, yes, I think so, but it may be difficult for you to address, Nagi, based on what you have said regarding your home life."

Nagi nodded unhappily and looked down at where one of his hands was warmly enwrapped by one of Omi's, in a small voice he asked, "What did you have in mind, Norwegian?"

The Kritiker physician wished he could simply gather the unhappy youth into his arms for the warm hug he would have offered Omi under similar circumstances but knew that was out of the question. Instead, he decided to deal with the most obvious issue that they had all identified previously and said, "I think one of the first things you need to do is start eating more regularly, son." With a slight shake of his head, he explained, "Without any blood work to either confirm or deny it, I'd have to guess that some of your basic problems right now are anemia as well as a simple lack of the things your body needs to function on a daily basis. Add to that the incredible drain that your extraordinary powers must be on your resources and it's no wonder you have a problem with blacking out at times."

"What?" Nagi asked in confusion, midnight blue eyes rising to gaze at the man openly for the first time in a long time as he asked with disbelief, "You mean to say that my biggest problem is *food*? I'm not anorexic, doctor, what gave you that idea?"

Norwegian shook his head and had to remind himself that this boy existed in such an abnormal environment that he might not have heard the term before, then explained, "No, no, I didn't say 'anorexia', Nagi, the term was 'anemia', a lack of iron in the blood. It's what carries oxygen through your system and if there isn't enough of it, you would indeed have trouble with staying conscious under stressful situations."

"Oh," Nagi blinked in surprise then nodded, "All right, that makes more sense, I guess. How do I fix that?"

The doctor smiled slightly since the boy was indicating a willingness to work towards a solution, "The best way to address it is by changing your diet and since you need to eat quite a bit more all the way around, that should be the first thing you try. Of course, such a radical change in your diet might take awhile to adjust to, so perhaps a good multivitamin-with-minerals supplement would be appropriate as well?"

The sable-haired boy looked uncertain, he wasn't entirely sure how to explain adding that to his life to Schuldich who would undoubtedly ask about it, but after a moment's thought he agreed, "I'm pretty sure I can do the vitamin thing, Norwegian, but the other is a lot tougher. It's not as if I can just add a dozen things to the grocery list and not get hounded by Crawford about it, he's a real pain about the household bills most of the time."

Understandably enough, Norwegian was getting tired of hearing the name of the American precog. Every time he discovered a particularly difficult issue that Nagi faced--other than the "blood work might imply drug use" issue--it ultimately tracked back to Crawford who seemed to rule the Schwarz household with an iron fist. The doctor was developing a strong wish to sit the man down and chew him out for misusing the boy he presumably had some form of guardianship over. Unlike Weiss where the elder members jealously guarded their youngest and made sure that Omi had whatever he needed that they could provide, the image of Schwarz he had gotten from Nagi was one of a dysfunctional family whose "father" was demonstrably incapable of fulfilling his role properly. 

With a sigh that some things simply couldn't be changed from the outside, the gray-eyed doctor grudgingly accepted this statement with a nod then asked in utter frustration, "Have your teammates ever asked you about any of these matters before, Nagi? Are they even aware that your health is not as good as it should be?"

Nagi looked away again, his face a mask of deep misery, sorrow, and guilt for having revealed too much about the men he lived with and in so doing he had apparently behaved disrespectfully towards them. 

Norwegian immediately knew he had overstepped his bounds and had unintentionally closed the subject for the moment far too early to deal with the more critical issues which ran deeper than mere nutrition and he despised himself for the atypically insensitive error. The distraction of the two mysterious deaths which he needed to solve had now indirectly effected a profoundly confused and unhappy young man who didn't deserve to have any burdens added to his thin shoulders and the Kritiker physician chastised himself strongly for his mistake.

Across the room from where they had silently observed the entire drama, three sets of concerned eyes took on various expressions of anger, disappointment, and, surprisingly, determination. However, the members of the Weiss trio would keep their opinions to themselves until after the two teens left for their date since there was no point in making a bad situation worse.

The expression on the cerulean-eyed boy's face was heartbreakingly sad and it was all the gray-eyed man could do not to apologize for causing Nagi's sorrow to be brought to the surface the way that he had. However, part of a doctor's job is to bring to light the dark corners of a patient's life that needed attention and he knew on a certain level that perhaps simply by asking the question it might someday bring about a change for the better for the boy. 

Torn between defending those he loved like brothers and answering truthfully that, no, to his knowledge not even Schuldich had ever gone beyond simply asking him how he felt or taking him for treatment when he was injured in the line of duty for Schwarz, Nagi simply remained silent. 

Incapable of coping with the tension any longer, Omi finally spoke for his boyfriend and answered pleadingly, "I think, Norwegian, that maybe we should talk about this some other time?" There was a small sound of agreement from the boy beside him and he added, "If the anemia issue is the most pressing matter, maybe we can deal with that and see what happens later?"

"Certainly, Omi," Norwegian answered, deliberately using the Weiss archer's given name in a desperate attempt to apologize and to indicate that while he regretted causing Nagi discomfort he was still committed to aiding them both. With a smile that was but a shadow of his usual jovial one, he added hopefully, "Why don't the two of you not worry about all of this too much tonight and just go out and have some fun?"

"We can try," the blond answered uncertainly, the earlier happy anticipation of a romantic dinner and other things of a more intimate nature had been eradicated by the necessary yet painful discussion. Glancing at the boy beside him, he added, "Nagi-love? Want to go out for awhile now?"

"Sure," Nagi answered dispiritedly and then with a light sigh, he moved to get off the hospital bed but Omi was quicker, hopping down and standing in front of him, offering his hand. With a shy smile, he accepted the offer and got down even as he negligently reached out with his powers and picked up their jackets that had been left on hooks on the wall by the door.

As the pair walked towards the door, Omi shot a begging glance over his shoulder at his elder teammates silently asking them to find out more from the Kritiker physician for him. There was also an unsubtle request that the hotel suite remain theirs alone as late as possible, he now needed extra time to remind his boyfriend that they were only worried about him the way that they were out of love and not a desire to add to his misery. 

Aya and Yohji both nodded solemnly intending to grant both requests and perhaps more if they could. Ken peered sleepily up from the bed with the same look of disappointment and unhappiness he'd worn earlier. He might have missed most of the recent drama by virtue of being unconscious through it, but the chocolate-eyed teen knew Nagi deserved better than what he was getting.

Norwegian's expression remained one of concern and even though he'd mentioned what he thought was the easiest issue to address, he hadn't been able to touch on some of the other issues he felt might be fundamentally responsible for Nagi's lack of health. As the sound of the two teen's footsteps resounded down the hallway, he took a moment to draw a deep breath, he was about to be interrogated by elite Kritiker operatives and he knew it. He only hoped it went better than the conversation with the Schwarz psychic had gone. 

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 44 & 45 will be posted together. 


	45. Further Plans to Aid a Friend

Title: Cold November Rain [part 45/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 4. time: 1800-1845 hours. ++

***** 

As soon as they were certain that Nagi and Omi had left hearing range, Aya and Yohji turned their attention on Norwegian as he had fully expected them to yet it was still somewhat disconcerting to find himself under such intense scrutiny from two accomplished assassins.

Anger roiling in violet eyes, the Weiss swordsman glared at the doctor for a moment and then forced himself to redirect his fury to his secondary target as he growled, "I never thought I'd say this, but right now, I feel like tracking down that bastard Crawford and slamming him against a wall for reasons that pertain to his *own* team instead of *mine*!" 

Jade eyes which had been filled with determination blinked in surprise for a moment and then Yohji asked, "Really, Aya? I was thinking of something similar but I hadn't been planning to get violent about it." Seeing a look of inquiry on his scarlet-haired partner's face he explained with a shrug, "Actually, I was thinking that perhaps Schuldich might be the better one to approach. Nagi *did* indicate he's the one who takes care of him when he's hurt and all."

"That's true," Aya responded grudgingly before adding after his earlier anger rekindled, "But I still think that the fucking precog should be held accountable! If he's their *leader* then he sure as hell has a responsibility to his teammates! *Especially* the youngest! Nagi's still just a kid and if Crawford can't even do something as simple as provide enough food for him to eat to be healthy, that bastard's got no right to tell Nagi what to do much less send him into danger for Schwarz!!" 

The Weiss field-leader's anger was understandable to a point, yet since none of those around him knew of the bafflingly strong inner feelings the scarlet-haired man held for the diminutive telekinetic, the strength of his assertions was quite unexpected. 

After giving the elder of his two lovers' heated words some consideration, Yohji turned towards their brunette partner and asked, "What do *you* think about all of this, baby?" Seeing that the recovering patient was obviously tired after staying awake for longer than usual lately, he added more tenderly, "I mean, I know you need some rest and all, Ken-love, but you're as much a part of this as we are. Was there anything you wanted to say about the situation with Nagi?"

With an exhausted sigh as he moved slightly to gaze at the dispirited Kritiker physician for a moment before focusing on his two lovers, the chocolate-eyed teen remarked, "Frankly, I'm disappointed, Yohji." He inhaled the oxygen-rich air being fed to him by the tubing attached to his face, then explained, "It seems to me that we should just get Nagi to come live with us at the Koneko and stop being a member of Schwarz and the whole thing. I mean, as long as *I'm* the one cooking he'd certainly not go hungry anymore, and Omi's there so he wouldn't be lonely and sad all the time. I mean, it seems so obvious, why didn't anyone suggest it to him?"

The former soccer player's practical, down-to-earth wisdom couldn't be disputed and the fact that it was now painfully clear that the three eldest members of Weiss all felt the same way probably should've made the matter no longer one of contention, however life is rarely that simple.

Glad the topic had finally been broached, Yohji tried to find a way to respond that didn't make the topic one that might lead to a disagreement since the younger man needed to rest as he said, "It's not that simple, Ken-love." With a half-hearted smile he added, "I've been thinking the same thing over the last few days, but in all honesty, this is *his* decision, not ours. Um, his and *Omi's* I guess would be a better way to put it, though, come to think of it."

"All right," Ken agreed easily and asked, "So, why hasn't anyone asked both of them about it? I assume no one's mentioned it or he wouldn't be planning to go back to those idiots he lives with tomorrow."

No one in the room would dispute that the other Schwarz psychics certainly sounded like cruel individuals if they had allowed a boy who obviously understood far too little of fundamental nutrition to be providing for himself in that fashion almost single-handedly. 

Then again, there was no way for the members of Weiss to even be aware of the fact that the members of Schwarz did indeed care for their teammate, they simply lacked the knowledge of the depths of his troubles. The other problem was a fundamental lack of understanding of proper parenting techniques that ought to have been involved since all of them had come from environments where such things as loving parents simply did not exist. The lack of proper medical care for Nagi was more a reflection of their lack of knowledge rather than a lack of concern, something that would unfortunately cause more pain as time passed, though.

In response to Ken's simple and direct question, Aya ran a hand through scarlet hair, disturbing one bright earlock as he paused to adjust his golden earring and he answered disappointedly, "There really hasn't been a good time to discuss something like that, Ken. Things have been quite tense these past four days as I'm sure you can imagine, but in all fairness, you're right." He threw a glance at their blond partner as if in apology as he stated, "We should've done that by now, Yohji. Or did you think otherwise?"

Amazed that Aya had apparently already been thinking along the same lines as himself and Ken as well, Yohji found a grateful smile growing on his face as he shook his head and admitted, "Not me, Aya. I've been thinking this very thing since the morning Nagi collapsed, actually." Sharing his smile with the tired man in the bed he explained, "If it was up to me alone, I'd see to it that Nagi was given a place with us in a heartbeat. Whether he'd become an active member of Weiss or not, is irrelevant, though. I'd just like to see him smile more and put on a little weight, he's too damned skinny!"

Nodding, Ken agreed, but his energy was dwindling and he didn't have time for a long discussion so he simply asked, "But you still haven't asked, Yohji. Why not if you think it's the right thing to do?"

Continuing to shake his head, annoyed that things were so complicated, the jade-eyed man admitted, "Because I still think this is something those two ought to come up with on their own, Ken-love. You know our Omiitchi, if he thinks we want something he'll do everything he can to achieve it, but if it means making Nagi miserable--I mean, I can't imagine he'd chose *them* over *us* but I guess it could happen--it'd probably tear the kid up." With one last firm shake of his head, the eldest member of Weiss stated flatly, "No, we need to wait and talk to Omi about it by himself first and see what he thinks before we accidentally put an emotional burden on his shoulders he can't handle."

Ken barely stifled a yawn and nodded sleepily after he saw an expression of full agreement in violet eyes and he agreed quietly, "All right, you win, loves. We'll wait and talk to Omi later, maybe it'll all turn out okay even if Nagi does go back there tomorrow after all." Unable to suppress the yawns any longer, he let one take control as his pain-filled body tried to tell him it was past the point of needing sleep. 

Yohji had a thoughtful expression on his face as he remarked, "Come to think of it, maybe letting Nagi go back now after seeing what life was like hanging around with us for a few days might let the kid know how much better things can be for him if he moves?" He shrugged as Aya regarded him with veiled curiosity and he explained, "I mean, we kept making him eat and saw to it he got plenty of sleep and other stuff, too. Maybe when he doesn't get the same respect and consideration at home, he'll be more willing to listen later if we can convince Omiitchi to make the offer to come live at our place?"

"I'm not so sure about that," Aya asserted quietly, aware that Ken was drifting off to sleep yet not wanting to miss a chance to complete the invaluable discussion that could effect all of their lives in the most fundamental of fashions. With a scowl of annoyance, he explained, "It seemed to me Nagi was fully aware of their inability to care for him either physically or emotionally already yet he was still dead set on returning. I think there must be some other issues that hold him there, like the ones about past debts and possibly the fact that apparently Farfarello can't function without him around."

Snorting angrily, Yohji crossed both arms over his chest and stated flatly, "Well, don't expect *me* to invite that knife-licking lunatic to move into the Koneko, too, Fujimiya! You may be able to ignore the fact that we all carry various scars on our bodies thanks to his blades, but I can't! I may adore Nagi, but I am *not* letting the person who once said that *your* blood tasted 'sweet' come into our home!" The wire-wielding assassin was referring to the incident that had left the long, recently-healed scar on his violet-eyed lover's left calf and it was clear that it was an action that had not been either forgiven or forgotten by the jade-eyed man.

Aya looked peeved when the conversation took this unexpected turn and he remarked acidly, "That is *not* what I meant, Kudou! Don't be stupid!" After forcing some of his frustration regarding Nagi's return to Schwarz to fade, he added in less angry tones, "What I *meant* was that unless we understood what *really* kept him there we shouldn't expect to be able to convince him that he'd be better off with us, that's all." 

Slightly mollified, the former detective agreed, "Yeah, I guess that's true, Aya. But I have no idea how to find *that* out." With a decision to let that subject drop, he turned towards the doctor who seemed to have been forgotten during the conversation and asked, "Norwegian? What else did you want to tell us about Nagi? Was the anemia *really* the worst thing you thought he might be facing?"

The Kritiker physician felt relieved that the pair had stopped arguing since he dreaded being witness to the two lovers who had only recently found their way back into a more balanced relationship coming to blows verbally. But at the same time he felt frustrated regarding the midnight blue-eyed teen who clearly ought to be a patient under a competent doctor's care somewhere yet most likely was not. There were so many things he suspected might be at the root of Nagi's problems, everything from simple neglect to complicated issues resulting from the emotional stress he faced which no fifteen year old should ever be expected to contend with to his extraordinary powers and so much more.

The portly man answered the question with a firm negative and an explanation. He had believed that the insufficient amount of iron in the boy's blood would be the easiest thing to treat and he felt that it would be best to offer an easy victory over one problem first since it might lead to an openness to face more difficult issues later. The idea that simply adding vitamins to Nagi's daily life might bring the telekinetic under unwanted scrutiny hadn't even occurred to him yet it had been the contention that purchasing more food could be rejected out of hand by the American psychic that still made him quite angry.

The eldest two members of Weiss agreed wholeheartedly, their own tolerance for Bradley Crawford had reached an end regarding anything of this sort, something that might or might not come into play at a critical point when it could cause a great deal of difficulty.

If Ken had been awake at the time, he might have made a practical suggestion like simply inviting Nagi to dine with them regularly or even to wonder aloud why Omi didn't take his boyfriend out to dinner more often. Unfortunately, these ideas were not answers that could actually work under the circumstances. 

Without even hearing the previous discussion between the boys regarding Nagi's assumption that he would be under some form of house arrest for some time to come, they knew the sable-haired boy's comings and goings were apt to be more closely monitored now since that's what they would've done. Yohji, Aya, and Ken all knew that if Omi disappeared the way that Nagi had, they certainly would've turned Tokyo upside down looking for him. But if he had returned with a sincere wish for them to not question his absence and to trust him, they would have done so but would have also made sure he didn't vanish again in the future. They all loved the blond teen too much to let such a potentially dangerous situation repeat itself.

Without Ken to speak of them, however, these simplistic ideas would never reach the discussion phase and instead the three focused on overt observation techniques as well as plans to use Omi's legendary computer hacking skills to obtain whatever medical records he could pertaining to Nagi. Estet was easily as technologically advanced as Kritiker was and that alone might prove to be their downfall with regard to "Prodigy" at least. If Omi could be convinced that Nagi was being neglected by those who ought to be taking the best care of him, perhaps the cerulean-eyed teen would indeed endorse a plan to bring his boyfriend to the Koneko to stay for good.

As Norwegian was about to open a discussion regarding an even deeper worry that perhaps Nagi ought to be seen by a mental health professional that dealt with young people under unreasonable amounts of stress, someone that had been absent from Ken's room for over an hour returned. 

The new arrival, sadly, would bring with him an entirely unexpected source of pain and sorrow that the men of Weiss would eventually be forced to face fully. But since what they were about to encounter would be horrific enough by the time the initial disclosure had been dealt with, they would be even more ill-equipped to cope when a buried secret was revealed much later.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 44 & 45 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to all of my readers with deep respect and profound thanks for being understanding about the following unanticipated angst regarding getting this monster-sized fic completed!

{unhappily tries to get out the Horn of Friendship, decides said celebratory instrument is too heavy figuratively *and* literally tonight, and settles on the Harmonica of Despondency since it's lighter and fits the mood better. After playing a couple of "Harry Connick Jr.-style jailhouse blues" pieces, he seems to perk up a bit and goes ahead and explains}

Sadly, just so you'll know from the very start, I already know that I can't be sure of getting much done on the story or even reliably promise to be able to post on a nightly basis this week due to two things. 

First, I'm headed back to the horror and pain of the dentist office tomorrow where they will try again to install that crown I need that had been improperly manufactured the first time and simply tore my mouth up when it wouldn't fit. Ah, there's no pain like dental pain, ne? Then again, since a migraine attack leveled me two nights ago and I'm still taking ibuprofen for the after-effects, this ought to be not so great a load to bear but one never knows, does one?

Second, part of the reason I was away from the sorrows and joys of "Cold November Rain" longer than anticipated last week is that my lovely eldest chibi, Amanda, has her first ever dance concert this Saturday night, March 30th! 

{cheers up a little more, he's a proud papa about this one and even though it's set the fic writing and posting schedule back, he wants to tell the world how proud he is of his little girl!}

For a freshman at her admittedly huge high school, it's a big honor to be given a solo in the annual show which features the best their dance department has to offer, but at the same time it's meant a fairly large investment in money and time from me. There was a small fortune invested in her clothes, shoes, and costumes but that seems like nothing compared to the hours and hours of extra rehearsal she's had to put in on weekends and after school all this month. Since there's no classes scheduled for this Friday, she'll be in rehearsal all day then plus more on Saturday afternoon and early evening as they reset the auditorium's lighting at the last minute, too. Then there's the obligatory pre-performance early arrival for make-up, etc, and by the time it's all over I wouldn't be surprised to find myself needing to pick her up at 1am Easter Sunday somewhere from a cast party. All in all, this is a major ego boost for her and I wouldn't want her to miss a minute of it, but for myself as well as her understandably bored and neglected-feeling little sister, it's a pain in the butt. 

{sets this aside and sits, chin in hand as he glares at a calendar and a copy of his latest posting run plans for CNR and sees that they do *not* agree in any way shape or form! tossing the plans out the proverbial window, he decides to fess up and just lay it on the line for you to make your own decisions}

As of right now, my best chances to post more are probably Tuesday and Thursday nights and if I can meet those self-imposed deadlines, you'll be getting Parts 46 & 47 in a couple of days--after *massive* editing in both!--and Parts 48 & 49 a couple of days after that. The main problems with this being that 48 isn't even complete since I loathe, hate, and despise what Melpomene did to Yohji in that scene and it needs to be ripped apart almost entirely and redone *and* it presupposes that the dentist and dance shit doesn't kill me. Worse, since the manuscript is currently midway through Part 51 and seems to be leaning towards needing at least three or even four more Parts after that, I could tear what little hair I have left out of my head in frustration since I *really* wanted this done before April Fool's Day!

{stalks around, wonders if he can buy "free time" on eBay or not, then flops down and finishes this note so the fic can be sent to the MLs and uploaded at fanfiction.net before too awfully much longer tonight}

Anyway, while I have no intentions of setting this fic aside eternally unfinished, I also won't waste what little energy I have available for such things as feeling guilty if this comes out on a weird schedule as it gets finished up. For those of you reading it at fanfiction.net, there will be a date notation added to the summary to indicate in a more high profile manner which day new Parts were added in the hopes that this makes life a little easier despite the schedule being uncertain. Look for "[more 03/25]" in today's "Just In" listing under "Weiss Kreuz: New Chapters" and then watch it to say "[more 03/27]" or whatever when the next set of Parts is added. It might not be in a nightly rhythm, but at least this way you get what I have as soon as it is deemed good enough to share, ne?

{feels better about explaining all of this and then goes off to get a little sleep before facing the evils of the dentist's office, a good angsty place to think of new ways to torture Yohji if nothing else!}

Thanks again for being supportive and I appreciate that so many of you are still following this Angst Epic despite the sheer overwhelming length and depth of the beast as well as the untimely interruptions that keep cropping up around here. 

Look for an interesting new development regarding my updates ML to be posted as soon as I get a new update ready for it this week. I'm busy re-envisioning how that infrequently used list can be put to better use by the readers of the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity as well as *all* of my fanfiction works that I think you might enjoy being a part of! If you're curious to see the first Update of 2002 and aren't already part of the ML, please feel free to sign up by sending a note to EnigmaFanficUpdates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com! There's stuff on there about *all* of the fandoms I'm writing for, but since in the past there was only one new update sent roughly every 2 months, please don't be afraid of being snowed by new posts since it's not a fic list per se. 

Either way, it was nice to be able to hang out with you for awhile again and share my angst-laden world of florist/assassins and their friends with you. Have a great week and with a modicum of luck I'll be back with the answers to more of those intermission teaser questions really soon! 

Ja ne!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who was amazed when he went to get ready to upload this at fanfiction.net tonight and saw that we've hit the magic ***300*** reviews already and are still going strong! congrats to the amazing Weisshund, Mr. Peabody, for being the self-proclaimed Tricentennial Man who asked a curious question to which the answer is: "Who knows? I believe that they will find their *own* truly painful 'naked truths' in 'Scars' but perhaps you meant that they ought to wait and see what shows up new for the world of Trigun at ff.net like everyone else, ne?" {winks at Mr. P and vanishes})

~+~+~+~+~ As a courtesy to my fanfiction.net friends, I'm re-posting the list of questions from the intermission teaser that was deleted when Part 44 was uploaded. Feel free to follow along as we go and check them off as they are answered, or ignore them completely and be shocked and amazed when the answers unveil themselves in their own sweet time! ~+~+~+~+~

[1] What happens when Norwegian finally gets the chance to talk to Nagi about his health and why does it cause Aya to suddenly want to locate Bradley Crawford and slam him against a wall? 

[2] What side-effects does Ken suffer from the use of KNT-0201 and will the Kritiker Research Labs drug help his spine to heal as promised?

[3] How will Omi say "good-bye" to the one he loves before Nagi goes back home after being AWOL for four days? Special note: This will *not* go lemony within the body of this story due to a lack of sex throughout as per the original envisioning of the tale, yet side-stories *are* possible after the fact, so don't expect explicit sexuality regardless of the cerulean-eyed teen's decision, all right?

[4] Will Ken's only remaining and severely injured kidney regain function or will he join the ranks of the thousands of those awaiting a kidney donor without knowing if one will be found before it's too late?

[5] Why does Yohji know who "Monique" is and why does her situation disturb him so badly?

[6] What will it take for Ken to convince Norwegian to release him from Tokyo General Hospital when there is precious little left that anyone there can do for him?

[7] Will Aya come to his senses and finally tell Yohji those special words of love that they both need to have him say or will he continue to argue with his elder lover and possible ruin their chances for the closeness he now shares with Ken?

[8] Where has the usually calm, sophisticated, and unflappable Korat been and why does he arrive so upset and out-of-character?

[9] How will Omi and Nagi cope with the fact that the younger of the two might be incommunicado once he returns to the Schwarz penthouse? Without even as little as email to stay in touch, can the pair of blue-eyed teens stay strong?

[10] Last but not least, will a certain sadistic orange-haired bastard show up again to ruin anyone else's life before this story ends or are we free of Calico's unique brand of evil for at least a little while?

Posted 25 March 2002 ~3:45am


	46. Disturbing News and a Frightening New De...

Greetings and welcome to Angst Theatre's debut performance of "Cold November Rain"!

Apologies to all those of you who were hoping for more of this yesterday, but if you tried to go to fanfiction.net to see what was new last night you already know the reason why it had to wait. {shrugs} Yes, they were closed again for maintenance or whatever but they seem to be up and running tonight so here we go, more pain and sorrow for the denizens of Tokyo General Hospital! There're a few other things going on at the Casa de Llama that slowed this down, too, but those can go in the end-note since I'm eager to let you get started on the latest new batch of crises the CNR crowd is facing!

{smiles as well as he is able, dental pain lingers for reasons to be mentioned later, actually puts on Vicious' tuxedo since the llama got a reminder to "use the damned thing or give it back!" from a certain gravel-voiced bishounen, then lights the marquee and gives you a playbill}

A fairly shocking revelation and a painful turn of events occur within Part 46 tonight as Korat returns with unpleasant news. Even as Yohji and Aya face an unanticipated crisis of their own, Omi and Nagi spend their last evening together for quite some time in Part 47 but not necessarily the way they had originally planned to do so.

{looks hopeful that the audience will share his enthusiasm for answers which only ask more questions and that they will, as always---}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who is finding a great deal of inspiration in readers' reactions to this Angst Epic and is *finally* coming up with a better idea of what to do with the "Schwarz Finds Out" story! be afraid, gentle souls, be *very* afraid!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 46/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 4. time: 1845-2000 hours. ++

***** 

After knocking on the partially open door, Korat stepped into the slightly crowded room and greeted his superior for the first time since he'd arrived, the mocha-eyed nurse having been occupied by an unexpected interruption of his own previously. With a slight bow of the head, the ebony-skinned man said, "Please forgive my absence, Norwegian. Was there anything I could assist you with?"

The Kritiker physician knew his valued associate extremely well and recognized immediately that something serious seemed to be disturbing the nurse. Putting his frustration regarding Nagi's situation aside, he rose and stepped towards the new arrival, asking, "What's the matter, Korat?" When he got no immediate answer, his brows drew together in concern and he asked more compellingly, "Is there something that I might help *you* with, old friend?"

Both Aya and Yohji had found it fairly easy to set aside their own concerns about a matter that they wouldn't be able to take an active role in for some time once they saw the expression of defeat and sorrow on the ebony-skinned man's face. 

With a look of pain in deep mocha eyes, the nurse revealed the shocking news that he had just received that had caused his world to shift uncomfortably, "I was just speaking at length with my parents and I'm afraid they had some rather disquieting news for me." 

"Like what, Korat?" Yohji asked, inserting his voice as a means to remind the nurse that he was not limited to only his own field-leader during what seemed to be a very troubling moment. "Is there anything *we* can do to help?"

Korat shook his head from side to side slowly, he hadn't been able to come to grips with it yet himself and he answered, "I honestly don't think so, Balinese, but I frankly don't quite know what to make of the situation either." After taking a steadying breath and realizing three sets of eyes were focused on him expectantly, he told them what had happened that was sufficiently shocking to have upset him so badly. "I have a sister who is somewhat irresponsible and she has apparently been missing for some time without us even being aware of it. My parents had contacted me regarding this a few days ago but since it seemed an easy enough proposition to simply backtrack her credit card spending as we've done in the past to locate her, I wasn't terribly concerned."

Yohji was frowning deeply and interrupted to ask, "Korat? Are you talking about your little sister Monique?" His concerns became clear as he remarked, "That weekend in September when she was in town and you asked me to take her dancing in Roppongi, I got the feeling she enjoyed being the center of attention a little too much but demanded it all the same. That kind of thing can be dangerous for someone as pretty as she is."

"I know," Korat responded darkly and added, "Yes, she's the one who is missing, there is only the two of us anyway. Either way, I had tried to discuss her need to be more careful about the way she teases and pushes people around, but Monique wouldn't listen, she never has. Always headstrong, she left Tokyo in October to hitchhike with some female friends north hoping to get work in one of the ski resorts on Hokkaido for the winter."

A slight tremor went through the lanky blond man's frame at the name of the island that held a significant part of his memory hostage, a place that he knew something terrible had occurred yet he still had no idea what it could've been. Instead of being distracted by that, though, Yohji focused on trying to help his friend and asked, "How can she be missing if she's with friends?"

With a look of longsuffering since as elder brother he'd been through this sort of scenario far too often, Korat explained, "Apparently when they first reached Hokkaido, Monique was in one of her dictatorial moods again. She made a few ill-considered remarks to her friends about how difficult they were to travel with and that she would travel alone if they wouldn't kowtow to her more often." With a sigh he added, "It's understandable that they told her to go ahead and simply made their way to the Niseko ski resort region without her, assuming she'd come to her senses and join them later since that had been their agreed upon destination since the beginning."

Nodding and filing that information away for future reference, the former detective who had developed a fondness for the domineering girl in spite of himself since she was Korat's sister asked, "What was the last record of spending do you have? It ought to give you a starting place at least, right?"

"That's what we assumed but if that is indeed the best indicator of Monique's situation, we are most likely facing a truly regrettable outcome." The nurse's expression was filled with unhappiness as he explained, "The bank's records show she bought a train ticket in Otaru a few weeks ago. But the amount charged was such that she might have been traveling to either the area where the ski resorts are to rejoin her friends or to go to Sapporo to seek her fortunes there independently, we simply have no way of knowing."

"Sapporo?" Yohji asked nervously, what few recent memories he had of the northern city weren't pleasant ones yet he knew it was predominantly a safe area, an urban environment that allowed comfort even during the worst of the Winter season. Keeping his thoughts focused on the matter at hand and not allowing himself to be distracted by his own fears and concerns, he asked, "Does she know anyone there that she might have contacted? An old school friend, perhaps?"

"No, there's no one there that she already knew that we're aware of , but the way Monique can charm her way into someone's heart, that could've changed easily." He sighed heavily and added with embarrassment, "She isn't exactly a model of proper and restrained young womanhood, you know, Yohji. That girl is as apt to have found her way into some wealthy man's bed as anything else. For all we know, this might be why she hasn't been spending anything lately but on the other hand, she might be in dire trouble."

Yohji took immediate note of the use of his given name and realized that this was Korat's way of asking for help of a more personal kind, yet there was precious little that he could do considering he was unwilling to leave Ken's side as long as he was hospitalized. With a frown of uncertainty, he answered in kind referring to his friend by given name as well, "Well, Jacques, it sounds to me like you need to consider hiring a private investigator to find her. I'd offer to go myself, but you know how it is." Jade eyes tracked meaningfully to the sleeping brunette and Yohji wisely made no apologies for his refusal to help even though he did express his concern for the missing girl by saying, "I sure hope that Monique didn't bite off more than she can chew, though. You're right about one thing, while she was here she sure proved to me that she wasn't shy or hesitant about getting what she wanted."

During the wild weekend that Yohji had escorted Korat's sister from club to club, Monique had very nearly driven the lanky blond crazy between her winning ways and her pure sensuality. 

Ken and Aya had wisely chosen to stay home, they didn't want to get caught up in the more risqué scenes that Korat had mentioned with extreme discomfort that the girl wanted to explore. This was the reason the ebony-skinned nurse himself felt incapable of taking charge of his sister, he simply wasn't as much of an exhibitionist as she was, yet knew his long-time jade-eyed patient and friend was open-minded enough to face it. So, after making an effort to convince his sibling to the contrary, Korat had arrived at the Koneko and had asked Yohji for a substantial favor that would come to involve an almost 24-hour straight club hopping extravaganza that would ultimately cement the two men's friendship permanently. The Kritiker nurse felt profound appreciation that Yohji had been not only capable of tolerating his sister's desire to live recklessly, he had also done so completely honorably, something few other men might have accomplished.

Now, however, the brief yet intense period that Yohji had spent with Monique was coming back to haunt him in ways he'd never imagined and he felt slightly guilty for not being able to offer to go in search of the aggravating yet endearing girl. Before he could admit these feelings, though, Korat arrived at a decision of his own.

With another heavy sigh and a feeling that he'd rather face almost anything else, the ebony-skinned man addressed his superior and asked, "Norwegian? I hate to do this, but I wish to request a leave of absence to go to Hokkaido and look for my sister."

The Kritiker physician nodded in understanding, he assumed it would be either this or a petition for the impressive resources of their organization to be put to work on the matter, something that really wasn't a legitimate area of their concern. With his most fatherly warm smile on his face, the doctor answered, "Of course, Korat. You should do whatever you feel is best, son, she *is* your sister after all." Receiving a small smile of thanks, he added, "Do you have any idea how long you might be gone? Also, do you need any form of assistance that I might provide?"

The tentative expression of appreciation for the immediate granting of his request took a little of the dark severity from Korat's elegant features and the nurse responded with a small shake of his head, "No, I'm afraid I have no idea at all how long this might take, Norwegian. If she isn't using her credit card there's no simple way to track her down but if I have to go to every city and town on Hokkaido and talk to the police about her, I will. Our poor mother is beside herself with worry." With a warmer tone he answered the second offer, "Thank you, but no, I can't think of anything I need from you other than an assurance that you won't hesitate to replace me here at Tokyo General on Siberian's treatment team. I truly regret being unable to remain as planned, I know that he will be here for some time to come." Mocha eyes tracked unhappily to the man who lay nearby, deeply asleep yet whose face still bore the marks of Aya's katana from the late night rescue only a few days prior. 

A solitary soul without lover, wife, or children of his own, Korat had always enjoyed being able to work around the clock as he had been following Manx's request for aid for Ken and leaving behind a patient whom he knew as a friend as well disturbed him badly. However, family should always come first and he convinced himself that between Javanese and the other nurses available for the case, he was certain that the brunette would receive proper care. 

The portly physician, however, seemed to be thinking it over a little and there was a thoughtful expression in his warm smile as he answered, "Don't worry about that, son. I think I have an excellent idea of who to get to cover for you." Seeing relief and inquiry in his coworker's eyes, he added, "As a matter of fact, I think that might solve two problems at once, so don't give it another thought. How soon do you wish to get started on your quest, Korat? If she's been missing this long, you may have an awfully large area to canvass to find her."

The haunted darkness returned to the nurse's eyes and he answered uncertainly, "I guess I'll leave after my shift is over at midnight, Norwegian, then leave for Hokkaido on the first flight out of Narita Airport in the morning. I wish there was time to go to my parents' home and speak with them about this, try to calm my mother down if nothing else, but there simply isn't time."

"Nonsense, my boy," Norwegian urged gently, patting the distraught nurse on the arm and hoping his ability to project calm was more operative with this emergency than it had been with the issues pertaining to the Schwarz telekinetic. With his fatherly smile in place and a slight touch of command in his voice, he said, "You're off-duty as of this moment, Jacques. Go to your parents and see to their needs before you go in search of your missing sister. Please keep me apprised of your search and feel free to take as long as you need. It's not as if those of us at KMC are trained to be detectives, but there's nothing to motivate a man like knowing someone he loves may be in danger, right?"

Deep gratitude and affection filled the nurse's face and he bowed slightly, as he accepted the gracious gift of time, saying, "Thank you so much, Norwegian. You are quite right about the search ahead of me, it *is* indeed a daunting undertaking. However, if Monique is in trouble as I fear she might be, I hope I can find her quickly."

"We *all* hope that you find her soon and that she's perfectly fine, Jacques," Yohji asserted adding his own best wishes, "Good luck looking for her. Don't worry about us, though, I'm sure we'll be fine, Ken's doing so much better already."

More gratitude filled mocha eyes and the nurse bowed slightly to his blond friend as well as the scarlet-haired man who had remained silent yet attentive to the discussion and said, "Thank you as well. I will plan to see you all when I return, after all, a good nurse can't simply walk away from a patient in Siberian's condition without at least a little concern lingering, can he?"

"Of course not," Norwegian stated firmly, then added, "But you ought to leave now before it gets much later, Korat. I'll leave you messages regarding your patient's situation on your voicemail if you wish to check it, but for now, go and give my regards to your parents during this difficult time."

"I will do so gladly, doctor," Korat answered then turned to leave after silently exchanging farewells with the eldest two members of Weiss. 

Mind awhirl with the sudden needs of an unexpected departure for an unknown period of time, the determined man never stopped to consider what might happen should worse come to worse and his sister could not be found at all. It would take a very high level of commitment and confidence to face what lay ahead, a road of uncertainty with more misdirection than was imaginable whose ultimate answers lay well into the new year before coming to light. 

After Korat had left, Norwegian's expression became slightly troubled as he turned to face Yohji and he asked, "Balinese? What kind of woman *is* his sister, anyway? It seemed as if he suspected the worst almost too automatically."

To his amazement, the jade-eyed man actually blushed slightly as he recalled the numerous times the seductive mahogany-skinned girl had suggested both overtly and subtly that he ought to give intimate heterosexual activity a try with her. Finding it hard to answer without going into too much detail--after all Aya didn't need to hear about the way he'd been propositioned repeatedly--Yohji finally offered with a shrug, "One that is too much fun for her own good at times and too demanding for those around her at others, doctor."

Looking displeased, the physician nodded and responded, "I was afraid of that. In other words, alone in a strange city, a girl like Monique could get herself into all kinds of trouble, couldn't she?"

As his flush died away due to the seriousness of the matter reasserting itself in his mind, Yohji nodded yet corrected, "Yes and no, Norwegian. I'd say a girl like her could get into trouble *anywhere*!" With a regret-filled sigh, he added, "I feel really sorry for Jacques. Unless Monique resurfaces on her own, he may be in for a long hunt only to find her living the life of leisure as the mistress of some rich, old married guy somewhere."

Norwegian grunted with displeasure and commented with annoyance, "For his sake, I just hope that he finds her at all! Too often the bodies of girls who have gone missing in Japan end up being found by hikers during the spring thaw in one of the national parks on that island! [1] I do *not* want that to happen to someone as deeply committed to his family as Jacques obviously is!"

The doctor's words conjured an image of manmade horror placed against the backdrop of a natural wonderland such as Daisetsu-zan, Japan's largest national park and home to a certain species of bear that had always fascinated the eldest member of Weiss. As a previously unrecalled image of that very park captured in a crisp photo-like perfection snapped into his mind, another deep tremor unexpectedly hit Yohji and it shook him so badly he reached out to steady himself on a nearby chair. Jade eyes seemed to cloud over ever so briefly and the eldest member of Weiss briefly felt weak.

"*Yohji*?!" Aya exclaimed in shock, breaking his silence and moving to grab his blond lover by the arm supportively. "What happened? Are you all right?" 

With one trembling hand pressed to his forehead uncertainly, the wire-wielding assassin merely wavered in place for a moment before steadying again as the image of an autumnal afternoon in the wilderness vanished back into obscurity. Voice filled with a fear and terror that defied explanation, Yohji answered questioningly, "I, I *think* I'm all right, Aya?" Shaking his newly pain-filled head as he tried to force his mind past the sudden agony, he added in confusion, "I have no idea what just happened. All of a sudden I have the most *hideous* headache. I think I need to sit down." Shakily, he eased his lanky frame into a chair and simply sat there, head down and eyes closed in agony for a moment.

Startled and confused, Aya looked towards Norwegian who shared his expressions of trepidation and fear. Not knowing what to do to help yet being unwilling to simply stand there and let one of the men he cared deeply for suffer, the scarlet-haired man demanded, "Norwegian? Isn't there anything you can *do* for him?!"

"I'm not sure," the doctor responded honestly, utterly baffled by the bizarre turn of events. Then he moved to crouch near Yohji and ask, "Where does it hurt, Balinese?" 

Yohji shook his head slightly, moaned as that added to his pain then responded quietly, "My head feels like it's going to explode, Norwegian." With some effort, he opened agony-filled jade eyes and moved to rub the back of his head as if that might help, then he added, "It hurts worse back here, though. Like there's a railroad spike right at the base of my skull!"

Norwegian blinked in surprise, this certainly wasn't where the usual cluster headache might strike or even a first time migraine. Unable to categorize the headache easily, he asked gently, "Have you had pain like this before, son? Have you had attacks you hadn't mentioned to me in the past?"

Frowning slightly as he tried to recall and found that the effort only caused him greater pain, Yohji admitted with an exhausted sigh, "I had them a lot after the training session with that little brat Calico a few weeks ago, but then they went away. I never thought to mention them since I assumed they were from something I ate in Sapporo or something. But, damn, this one's not easing off at all!" With an expression that told anyone who looked at him that he was in nearly unbearable pain yet attempting to bravely disregard it, he added, "Fuck, this hurts worse than getting punched by Abyssinian and that's saying something." He smiled weakly at his scarlet-haired lover who was uncharacteristically hovering close by, hoping a touch of levity might eliminate the scowl of concern from the other assassin's pale yet beautiful features.

"Drop the comedy act, Kudou," Aya responded with far more love than the words implied. "Stop trying to be a tough guy and let Norwegian look at you. Doctor, can you give him something for the pain?"

Having confirmed that Yohji's pupils had remained evenly and appropriately dilated and thereby ruled out the last of his headache theories that were of the most frightening nature, the gray-eyed man nodded then rose and pulled out a note pad that he jotted a quick prescription on. Tearing it off and handing it to Aya, he commanded with concern, "Get these from the hospital pharmacy for him immediately, Abyssinian. If after taking two of these and waiting an hour this isn't completely gone, let me know. There are certainly worse things than a simple headache that could explain sudden intense pain like this, but let's rule out the obvious first, shall we?"

Voice mission cool as one might have suspected, the violet-eyed man responded, "Agreed."

"Good," the portly physician said, patted Yohji on the shoulder, then turned to inform Aya of one more detail before leaving, "I'm going to go see what I can do about getting a replacement for Korat lined up. I'll advise the Tokyo General staff that they're responsible for everyone in this room until midnight when Javanese will return. Dial my cell phone number if my presence here is required sooner, all right?"

"Absolutely," with a crisp nod of the head, the Weiss field-leader departed intending to get whatever medication might alleviate Yohji's unexpected torture as quickly as possible, he couldn't bear to see him suffering the way he was. 

After giving the agonized man in the chair one last glance as well as taking a look at the injured brunette who had slept through not only the dramatic revelations regarding Korat's sister's absence but Yohji's near collapse as well, Norwegian, too, left the room.

Alone with his chocolate-eyed lover slumbering blessedly unawares nearby, Yohji allowed the last vestiges of his previously hard fought for self-control to slip away gratefully. 

The blond man had held back a full reaction to the intense pain he was suffering as long as he had an audience, and now freed of that, the burning tears that resulted from enduring sheer hellish agony sprang to his eyes. Dropping his aching head into his hands and ignoring the way that the salty teardrops were slipping past his fingers to visibly dot the fabric of his clothes, he moaned quietly, "Oh gods, what the *hell* is wrong with me?! Every fucking time I try to remember what happened on Hokkaido now, it just hurts! Damn it all to hell, *why*?!?" 

There were no answers in the otherwise empty room, of course, and his own mind could no more tell him the truth than he could force the pain away long enough to track it to its source. 

When Aya returned with the medication Norwegian had prescribed, he noted the numerous indicators of agonized weeping that he was certain Yohji would've denied and therefore didn't mention them. He was understandably concerned by all that had occurred yet baffled as to how to help his lover other than pressing a glass of water along with the prescribed drugs into Yohji's hands and making sure he took them. Then, the field-leader of Weiss went about the difficult task of wordlessly keeping careful watch of the amount of time it took until the glaze of pain left jade eyes. 

Forty-five minutes after swallowing two of the white pills desperately hopeful for relief, Yohji had finally felt the first cooling touches of non-pain in the back of his head and he'd sighed tiredly, "I think it's workin' finally." He'd already been yawning somewhat since, as the package warned, the drugs he'd been given did indeed tend to cause drowsiness. [2] 

"Good," Aya murmured quietly from where he'd been leaning against a wall, silently guarding both of those whom he loved even as he worried about what could've effected the taller one so dramatically. Pushing away from the wall with his heel, he moved to where Yohji could see him easily and he asked with a nod of his head towards the unoccupied bed, "If you're sleepy, why not rest over there? I'll let Norwegian know your headache is easing up next time he asks."

"All right," Yohji agreed with another yawn and a nod that gratefully did not cause a new sequence of pain to wash over him. He dragged himself bodily from the chair and basically let himself collapse onto the empty bed in a random tangle of limbs, he was simply too sleepy now to pay much attention to such things.

With an expression of concern, Aya moved to ease the already sleeping man's shoes from his feet hoping to make him more comfortable. Even as he pulled a blanket over his blond partner's body, he thought about the fact that fate seemed intent on heaping more pain and sorrow onto the members of Weiss and their friends than anyone could logically expect them to survive. Not surprised by his usual pessimism, Aya gave the matter very little further thought and returned to his position leaning against the wall keeping watch once more. 

The scarlet-haired man's only optimistic thought was that at least Omi and Nagi had been spared participation in this latest cruel turn of events. He cautiously hoped that wherever they had ended up spending their evening alone together they were having a more relaxed and enjoyable time with one another than he was with his own lovers. Saying good-bye was hard under normal circumstances, to do so under the shadow of new fears might be nigh impossible no matter how much the Schwarz telekinetic had claimed he wanted to go home. 

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] A rarely discussed fact is that Japan, like any other country, has its share of psychopaths who commit serial murder and at least a few of the higher profile cases of the last few decades were solved after evidence was found on Hokkaido. Unsuspecting hikers planning only to enjoy the early blooms coming through the snow have found other faded blossoms of a far less attractive nature and it's this piece of crime lore that was the inspiration for this comment from Norwegian.

[2] In case you wanted to know what the drug of choice was here, I believe that it wouldn't be out of the question for Norwegian to have chosen either Vicodin or Demerol, both powerful pain killers that the llama has too much experience with. Also, regarding the ability of either of these drugs to knock an otherwise healthy male such as Yohji out flat with very little warning, take it from one who has "been there and done that", it not only *can* happen it's almost guaranteed but at that point it would be welcomed.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 46 & 47 will be posted together. 


	47. A Quiet Evening for Two

Title: Cold November Rain [part 47/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 4. time: 1800-2230 hours. ++

***** 

Even as the eldest members of Weiss were experiencing a new crisis, the two youngest assassins were trying to enjoy themselves on what would be their last evening together for quite some time but were not having much luck.

After leaving their friends around six in the evening, the pair had stopped by Yohji's roadster only long enough to pick up the clothes that Aya had brought back for them. Granted, they'd forgotten to ask for the keys to the trunk, but Nagi's powers held the most astounding potential for solving mundane problems. Using a highly fine-tuned application of his telekinesis, the sable-haired youth opened the trunk in seconds flat with ease. 

Omi had wanted to try to congratulate his boyfriend on the useful trick since he was searching for ways to boost his boyfriend's self-esteem, but there was a sadness in midnight blue eyes that stopped him. 

The extra moment of silence granted by collecting the duffel bags gave the cerulean-eyed boy a chance to remember that Nagi had once mentioned a time in his life when he had been trained by Estet to do exactly this for the purpose of planting evidence for blackmail purposes. Despite what some might believe, assassins can have well developed senses of good and evil even if they aren't in a position to exercise that knowledge at all times and their consciences can be as outspoken as anyone else's.

Foregoing the intended supportive comments in favor of simply carrying the bags of clothes the two blocks to the hotel, the elder of the pair forced a moderate smile onto his face hoping that his partner might cheer up a little if he saw the expression. Sadly, it didn't work out that way and instead they returned to Suite 535 with only a little light conversation shared between them.

Once inside their accommodations and taking note that the hotel staff had returned the rooms to their usual spotless conditions as well as refurbishing the various bathroom necessities they'd been gratefully using, the couple went about discovering what clothing Aya had selected. 

As he carefully closed up the bag with garments for the elder pair in it, Omi asked, "Nagi-love? Did you find my clothes yet? These are only Yohji-kun's and Aya-kun's, I'm afraid."

An expression of mild confusion crossed dark eyes set in an alabaster complexion and the telekinetic answered, "I think so, Omi-koi, but the stuff on top I don't recognize." He carefully pulled out the ivory button-downed shirt and gray pants that Aya had found in the back of Omi's closet, unfolded them, and said, "I don't believe that I've ever seen you wear these before. Are they new?"

Glancing at the two items, cerulean eyes widened with surprise and chuckling slightly, Omi answered as he started to reach for them, "Um, no, love, they certainly aren't new. I got those for my birthday a year and a half ago and they haven't fit since I had a growth spurt last spring." Taking them into his own hands with the intention of simply folding them up and putting them aside once more, he added, "I guess Aya-kun didn't know that they're too small for me now. I mean, it's usually Ken-kun who does the laundry so how would he know, right?"

"I have no idea," Nagi answered with a shrug and turned back to see what else there was that might be more appropriate for his beloved from the selection in the bag.

With the shirt dangling from both hands, Omi glanced from his boyfriend to the garment and back again before exclaiming delightedly, "Oh, *I* get it!" When Nagi looked over in curiosity, he explained, "I'll bet that Aya-kun *did* remember these were a little small for me, love! Because if they *are* then they might just fit you perfectly!"

"Oh?" Midnight blue eyes blinked for a moment then the first smile in far too long appeared on delicate features as Nagi reached out to wordlessly ask for the garments back and he said, "In that case, I'll have to try them on. I can't very well wear them home tomorrow, so I'd like to wear them tonight if that's the case, koi."

Beaming with a happiness that could only be felt when he saw a smile on his adored partner's face, Omi agreed eagerly, "Sounds like a good idea to me, love! I think some fresh clothes would be nice no matter where we go to eat tonight." He paused for a moment and then asked tentatively, "Where *would* you like to go for dinner, Nagi-love? We've eaten breakfast here at the hotel a couple of times and it's certainly good, but there're plenty of other places nearby. What are you hungry for?"

A dark cloud seemed to descend over the fifteen year old's features as Nagi dropped his eyes and responded in a quiet voice, "I'm not hungry, koi. It doesn't matter to me where we go, I'll probably only get some tea or something."

What little delight had built in Omi's heart was dashed away by these few words. He moved to quickly and firmly embrace his boyfriend, warming them both literally as well as figuratively as he urged quietly, "I know that you're sad and upset about a lot of things, love, but you've *got* to eat!" As his hands slowly stroked the petite teen's back, he added, "I'm sad, too, about a bunch of stuff, Nagi-love, but we've got to stay focused on the good things. Ken-kun is doing better and you'll be able to see Schuldich and Farfarello tomorrow like you wanted to, right? And Norwegian said you'd feel better if you ate more, so, please? Won't you at least *try* to think of something you'd like for dinner, Nagi-love? Please? For me?"

Sighing with a mixture of pleasure from the soothing touches to his back as well as of unhappiness as his mind conjured the image of a pleasant woman who kindly insisted that he eat who was lost to them forever now, Nagi let his head rest briefly against Omi's shoulder. Then, after another sigh, one that was more a result of feeling safe in this boy's arms than anything else, he agreed, saying, "All right, Omi-koi, I'll try." He paused for a moment and mentally reviewed the options he'd automatically noted in the times they'd walked past the block of shops and small eateries between the hotel and the hospital. After some contemplation, he asked tentatively, "Um, do you like curry, koi? I think maybe just some chicken curry and rice would be nice or maybe a bowl of noodles if you like those better?"

Omi considered the suggestion for a moment. It was simple fare that Nagi was suggesting to be sure, but it was hearty and ought to fill them both up nicely. Right before he was about to agree, though, it occurred to him that to comply with the Kritiker physician's recommendations, there might be a slightly better option, so he counter-offered, "I like curry, too, love, but could we get beef instead of chicken? I think it's supposed to have more iron in it."

Realizing he should've thought of this sooner and then internally wondering how he was supposed to have done that since he had no idea how to increase his intake of the necessary mineral, the sable-haired boy answered, "That's fine with me, koi, but could you do me a favor? I'm afraid I haven't had a class on nutrition yet and I kind of doubt Schu knows much about it, so could you tell me more about it while we eat?" 

The look of openness in the lovely lapis lazuli eyes that slowly raised to meet cerulean ones was most welcome and even as Omi nodded and heard his voice promising such, his heart sang a bittersweet melody that was as ancient as time yet newer than his next breath. The two teens treasured one another in a fashion few other couples did and knowing that they would soon be parted for an unknown period of time only made him long to hold his beloved close that much more. Never once during the rest of the brief and forgotten conversation about the dinner plans did it occur to either to release their possessive embrace and that, too, was wonderful.

But time moves on and before long, the pair became aware of the fact that they had stood together longer than they had intended to and they stepped apart with matching sighs of regret. 

Forcing themselves to focus on getting changed and going back out into the night in search of the small curry shop Nagi had noticed, the two were able to accomplish their tasks and were soon en route to a quaint, homey restaurant operated by a woman and her son. [1] 

Midway through their first sips of tea as they awaited the preset dinner of curried beef with seasonal vegetables, rice, and assorted pickles, they were served the traditional bowls of miso soup that this particular proprietress took great pride in. 

The familiar scent of the warm broth with green and white rings of thinly sliced scallions floating on its surface caused both of them to immediately think of Sokoke, a young woman whose true legacy had yet to be fully understood. It was all either could do to keep from frowning unhappily knowing that the woman who was watching them carefully hoping for positive reactions would never realize they were thinking of someone close to them who had died tragically the day before. 

With his usual smile in place as a façade to protect them both, Omi spoke a traditional Japanese phrase indicating how nice the food was and that he was glad to receive it, then dutifully lifted the bowl and sipped it appreciatively. As he turned to nod and smile at the restaurant owner who was now beaming with satisfaction, he saw the telltale cool neutrality in Nagi's expression, the same look the telekinetic had schooled himself to wear while facing unpleasant situations for Schwarz. 

Before Omi could say anything about Nagi not needing to force himself to try the soup since the woman had already turned away, the boy seated across from him lifted his soup bowl, murmured the same phrase and tasted the nutritious broth briefly. After silently adding a prayer to the dead, Nagi raised his eyes and said quietly, "It's not as good as Sokoke's was, but it's certainly better than the instant that I always make at home." Without further comment, he sipped at it again, making himself drink a quarter of the bowl before setting it aside with an air of having consumed it out of duty instead of desire.

The cerulean-eyed teen sighed dispiritedly yet knew there was little he could do to help his boyfriend cope with his feelings. If he could've found a way to tell Nagi that everything would turn out okay in the end, he would have even if he himself wasn't so sure of it. As long as Ken's spinal and kidney injuries remained unhealed, there was still a definite risk that they might be facing another loss of a far more personal and profound nature and this thought chilled him to the bone.

Before any other uncomfortable words could be spoken, their meal was served to them and the blond teen thanked the young man who brought them their food thereby protecting Nagi from trying to find words for a stranger, something he had difficulty with under the best circumstances. 

Once they were alone once more, the two teens quietly consumed their warm and filling meal with minimal conversation most of which focused on the nutritional topics that the younger of the two needed to understand better if he was to be able to follow Norwegian's advice. As they covered various items Omi thought would be best suited to increasing his boyfriend's iron, it was revealed with annoying frequency that the basic ingredients were rarely available in the Schwarz penthouse's refrigerator. This disturbed and worried the Weiss archer, yet the telekinetic simply sighed, promised to try to find a way to fix the problem from the inside, and eventually the matter was dropped.

They finished the meal in relative silence, sharing occasional brief words about when Omi thought he might be returning to school and how he might get in touch with Nagi if a true disaster was to strike such as if Ken's condition took an unexpected turn for the worse. After coming up with a few options, they paid their bill with additional expressions of thanks for the food as well as compliments for the cook since the woman continued to beam at the two adorable youths unawares of their recent stress.

On the way back to the Hilton, they stopped at a bookstore and Omi picked up a copy of the latest volume in a newly reprinted classic manga series Ken had been reading about a soccer player and his lover, a famous J-Pop star. With the ongoing drama of Koji Nanjo and his beloved though not always receptive Takuto Izumi carefully gift-wrapped and tucked into a bag beside Omi's own preferred indulgence of a Gundam Wing doujinshi featuring Trowa and Wufei enjoying romance together, they left the shop. [2 & 3] The cerulean-eyed teen had tried to find something about nutrition for his midnight-eyed love in the bookstore, too, yet when his intention became obvious, Nagi had declined the offer since it would be difficult to explain when he returned home the next day with a book in his hand.

Omi had hoped they might find a shop where he might help his boyfriend select the vitamins-with-minerals supplements that Norwegian had recommended, but there wasn't anything even remotely like that available. The blond teen wisely chose not to mention his disappointment since it would have only upset Nagi to hear that he had indirectly brought him more unhappiness. Furthermore, the short walk back to the hotel wasn't even particularly enjoyable, somehow being back out in the "real world" had dampened their lack of inhibitions about public displays of affection so they hadn't even held hands until the elevator doors closed. 

After reaching for the slightly smaller boy's hand, Omi smiled shyly before bringing it to his lips for a brief kiss as they ascended to the top floor. He wasn't surprised that Nagi's skin had become cold and was glad to rub it against his own cheek to warm it tenderly with a soft smile on his lips.

Nagi, in turn, blushed slightly then simply sighed and let his eyes slide shut, savoring the moment.

As they walked back into Suite 535, they toed off their shoes, set aside their jackets and the package from the bookstore, then made themselves comfortable on the couch in the living area. Despite their earlier plans for an intimate evening of gentle sexual play in the comfort of an actual bed without fear of interruption or a need to part soon thereafter, it was silently agreed that neither was in any shape emotionally for such an event. Instead, they found a television channel that was running a "Cowboy Bebop" marathon and they cuddled together to watch it, enjoying the occasional fantastic CG-enhanced scenes and the jazzy Yoko Kanno soundtrack.

At one point, mid-yawn, Nagi admitted he was still feeling a little chilly yet he didn't want to miss seeing what happened next to Vicious and Gren, two characters whose obviously star-crossed relationship was foredoomed to disaster. After agreeing on both counts and mentioning that he hated it when the intro sequence to an episode gave away the ending, Omi gladly went to retrieve a blanket from their bed for them both to cuddle beneath. Since they seemed as close to happy as they could probably hope to be at that point, the Weiss archer never once regretted their lost opportunity for a sexual liaison despite the fact that such an occurrence might be a long time in repeating itself.

Predictably, the pair of blue-eyed teens fell asleep curled in one another's arms long before the crew of the Bebop resolved all of its issues on the small screen. 

These two young men had faced their own struggles with far more dignity and bravery than any anime hero ever could yet they didn't have the comfort of infallibility that some of the two-dimensional characters they enjoyed watching did. In the course of their evening alone together, neither youth had taken advantage of the opportunity to remind the other verbally of what he felt and why he treasured the boy he held close. By the same token, unlike a certain older couple, there was never any doubt about the depths of what they shared so in the end it probably didn't matter. Their lips might not have spoken of their deep and abiding love for one another yet their hearts heard the words just the same and in their dreams they pledged their devotion to each other throughout eternity.

Perhaps it's just as well that their pledges of undying commitment had remained unvoiced. Fate had a cruel habit of taking what was said aloud and twisting it into unexpectedly horrid new shapes so that even when vows were well intentioned they became hated, miserable creations, a simple fact that certain other assassins would come to learn all too well in the coming months.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Recently, I had the opportunity to obtain my first copies of the legendary shonen ai/yaoi "Magazine BexBoy" (also called simply "b-Boy" by some readers), and within one was a particularly precious story about a handsome young seme-type who worked in a curry shop who was the object of an absolutely adorable genki uke-type's affections. Of course the road to true love didn't run smooth therein, but the food looked delicious and this was the inspiration for the little eatery that Nagi suggested. Sadly, I can not give proper credit for this fine work since I don't read the original Japanese, but it's in MBB 10, 2001, and if anyone can tell me what the author's name is, I'd appreciate it! Now that Melpomene and Erato realize what a treasure trove of inspiration this publication is I need to find more copies for them and/or a way to get a subscription someday, they're hooked.

[2] If you don't recognize the manga that Omi selected for Ken, it is none other than the marvelous classic "Bronze: Zetsuai since 1989" by the inimitable Minami Ozaki. Nowhere near as sexually explicit nor as technically beautiful as my current favorite yaoi manga series, "Love Mode" by Yuki Shimizu, this series began in the days when shonen ai and yaoi were first becoming accepted artforms within the mass media of Japan. Despite being perpetually incomplete, this series as well as its prequel, "Zetsuai", provides all those who love yaoi plenty of high-angst with occasional non-graphic lemon and more bloodshed than one might have expected from an artist who very rarely gives her characters guns. As Farfarello can attest, blades truly are a better choice for symbolic self-mutilation after all! 

[3] Regarding Omi's choice for reading materials, well, it's been difficult to say the least to include any foreshadowing at all for "Romantic Resolutions" even though this is the prequel for that story. So, when I imagined these two going out together, I assumed it was a good opportunity to send them to a bookstore to buy at least one item mentioned in Book 2 of the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity. Of course, having a chance to buy Kenken a gift at the same time seemed a delightfully "Omi-esque" thing to do and thus it was included!

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 46 & 47 will be posted together. 

Strangely enough, this evening's posting run is dedicated to a group of people who will most likely never even see this story in the first place. Yet the following group of women--plus a few bold men who buck the system!--is in part responsible for the way this is being told as well as the fact that the author's sanity is at least somewhat intact during an insane period in his life. Who are these unnamed people? They are the many mangaka who have created the wonderful shonen ai and yaoi publications that I've been reading and enjoying since I started getting seriously involved in seeking out professional "Boys Love" manga beginning last year at Neko-Con in Virginia Beach!

{drops to both knees, places hands before him on the floor, and bows *very* deeply in a show of reverence for these marvelous individuals}

Sadly, it is very nearly impossible for me to offer a list of the names of *all* those creators whose works I admire since, much as what happened with the adorable story that included the curry shop, I can't tell who they are in the first place! I mentioned above two of my favorites but, unfortunately, almost all of the names in the copies of "Magazine BexBoy" that I have are in the original Japanese calligraphic languages and not Romanji. Luckily, the fact that I can't read their names doesn't stop me from understanding and enjoying their work which is marvelously universal in the manner that so-called "comic books" usually are. 

{has a dreamy quality to his expression and then he starts telling you what Melpomene and Erato have been gathering inspiration from amongst his tiny yet growing manga collection}

Lately, I've feasted on angst-laden stories of everything from love gone astray to star-crossed lovers whose destinies forbid them to find their joy together, all the way through bittersweet stories of those who recognize too late what they could have had even as it slipped from their lifeless fingertips. But before anyone becomes afraid that this is *all* that I'm finding inspiration from, there's also plenty of sweet romances filled with delightfully sappy lemons up to and including those tales penned by the timid who lead us to a pair of semi-undressed bishounen and slap "owari" on it, thereby leaving the hentai among us wishing for more! To my utter shock and semi-horror, I've even found myself smiling at adorable little schoolboys who never so much as kiss yet they seem to find strength in friendship to face a hostile world together and I assume this is the purest form of "boys' love" possible. Granted, my favorite one of these "almost shota-esque" stories then followed one pair of "kawaii kids" all the way to adulthood and a truly satisfying reunion that spoke of the concept of soulmates as loudly as I tend to do so in my own fiction.

{keeps smiling like the happy manga-addict he's become even though there's a few key things missing from his collection so far, namely a threeway lemon of *any* sort, anything of a bondage nature beyond the handy, lightly tied belt, etc., and much in the way of truly unexpected sex since what he's got is all fairly tame by fanfic standards} 

All in all, there's some great stuff out there and even though it isn't free like all of my humble offerings are thanks to the Internet and copyright laws, the original Japanese yaoi and shonen ai manga are well worth seeking out and enjoying! Should you wish to invest in some--or perhaps purchase some to bribe your favorite Llama, a guy who is *always* open to bribery, you know!--may I recommend the single greatest source for information on the topic that I have encountered so far? It's a simply unbelievable site entitled "Manga Bonbons" which includes more information than I can begin to describe yet is an incomparable reference that should be bookmarked by anyone even casually interested in this topic. 

Before I give you the URL, let me add that this is a *great* place to look before you bid on manga at eBay or elsewhere! Not too long ago, I spotted an auction that claimed to be selling volumes of "Bronze" which were actually "Zetsuai" and if I hadn't already known the difference, the color cover illustrations at "Manga Bonbons" would've told me otherwise!

Manga Bonbons: http://www.mangabonbons.net/

{smiles a lot since he is looking forward to an Easter gift of *more* shonen ai and yaoi manga arriving soon from someone who already knows how to cheer up an embattled llama most excellently then changes topics briefly}

By the way, thanks to all those of you who sent words of support regarding my on-going dental trials and tribulations. {snorts angrily ala' Heero or Ran} I won't bore you with the details, but in case you wondered, *no*, I did *not* get the much anticipated new crown but I'll survive until May for yet another attempt then. Also, on a brighter note, I passed on the many good wishes to my dancing daughter Amanda and she perked up and gave me a nice smile and a "thanks!" to share with you. 

There's plenty of new angst in my life that sprouted up after my last posting run that I could mention, but I don't think I'll go into it right now. Besides, you're here for the fic, not my fairly ordinary and ultimately boring life's story, ne? 

{shrugs and keeps this remarkably short for a change}

Here's hoping that soon I can spend some much needed editing time on Part 48 which is a total disaster right now so I can get everything back on track for ending the rough draft ASAP! I'd love to think this Angst Epic was going to be completed before Easter, but I'd also like to wake up tomorrow and find myself a millionaire who looks like Keanu Reeves, something that has a similar statistical probability of happening right about now! 

Next time here at the Angst Theatre, there will be more angst and sorrow as well as a much anticipated reunion with some rather misunderstood bishounen elsewhere in Tokyo! Hope to see you then!

Auf Wiedersehen!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who thinks it's a shame that there isn't enough time for him to drool over yummy shonen ai/yaoi manga AND write fanfics AND raise two lovely kids AND keep his house from falling apart AND spend time reading other people's lovely yaoi fanfics AND edit the fanfics he's already got in progress AND make money to pay for stuff, {pauses and quotes Yul Brynner as the King of Siam} etc., etc., etc., ETC!)

Posted 28 March 2002 ~3:15am


	48. A Difficult Night for Two Others

Greetings and welcome to Angst Theatre's performance of "Cold November Rain" the story that apparently has no end!

{looks dismayed, *that* certainly wasn't the plan when this fic was begun, it was only supposed to be an angsty little "prequel" for crying out loud! then he cheers up a little, grabs a multicolored basket filled with polka dotted eggs and assumes yet another secret identity!}

In honor of tomorrow's holiday, allow me to be the Easter Llama and present to you my small offering of angst for tonight as a "Hooray, it's Spring!" gift. 

{sets the basket down only long enough to grab Vicious' tuxedo, slips it on and magically, bunny ears ala' Yukito in the delightfully demented Alice in Wonderland episode of CCS appear on his head! he smirks, quite relieved not to be stuck in the Red Queen's outfit like poor Touya was, then lights the marquee, and hands you a playbill with a smile}

Tonight's performance opens with Part 48 wherein the eldest members of Weiss share a difficult night filled with an unexpected focus on the more intimate sides of their lives as well as those of their friends. In Part 49, heartfelt farewells and promises for the future are exchanged when Nagi says good-bye to the men of Weiss before he returns to the Schwarz penthouse, however he certainly isn't prepared for what he finds there. 

{smiles darkly thinking of all the lovely angst, then wonders where he left the chocolate bunnies for all the kind readers then remembers he sent them back in favor of chocolate-covered chibi-Omi's and chibi-Nagi's which are *much* more fun, ne? hands the twice-as-sweet-as-usual blue-eyed assassins out while mentioning a fun fact to know and tell!}

By the way, in my desperate attempt to get to the best possible subject matter for your Holiday Gift, I combined a few things and tonight's offerings may only be listed as two WK-llama fic Parts but they're more like the size of three! I checked the amount of memory these take and right now, what you're about to get would've been broken into at least 4 if not more likely 5 Parts if this was a standard GW-llama fic. Wow, don't you feel special?

{beaming smile that falls away since the opening scene is no laughing matter as he bids you in his best "Chairman Kaga announcing a theme ingredient that he doesn't really like such as natto" voice--}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who is delighted to be able to get this to you after an amazingly eventful day and evening, but more on those topics later, it's time for some good, old-fashioned bishounen-torture!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 48/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 5. time: 0115-0400 hours. ++ 

***** 

After roughly five hours of unrestful, drug-induced slumber, Yohji reawakened to find Aya's clearly worried violet gaze alternating between himself and their brunette partner who lay sleeping peacefully in the bed across from him.

Realizing that one of the two men he loved had opened his eyes and was blinking in confusion at him, the scarlet-haired man uncrossed his arms from over his chest, pushed himself away from the wall, and strode over to quietly ask, "How do you feel, Yohji?" 

Moving to gingerly run a hand through sleep-mussed blond hair with a tired sense of uncertainty, the wire-wielding assassin answered without enthusiasm, "Not as bad as before, Aya, but still not good, that's for sure." With a groan as jade eyes slid shut again, he explained, "Before I thought my head was going to explode, now I kinda wish it had, there's this damned dull ache right at the base of my skull that just doesn't seem to want to let go."

Concerned amethyst eyes narrowed and long, pale fingers moved to gently caress Yohji's neck far too briefly then slid farther back to probe at the spot indicated only to get a moan of discomfort in response. With a frown of displeasure, Aya commented, "That's not good." Seeing a lack of understanding in his partner's face, he explained, "Norwegian came by after you fell asleep and he said that the pain pills ought to have knocked it out completely if it was just an ordinary headache. He told me that if there was any residual pain he wanted to have a chance to check you out in the morning, okay?"

Yohji tried to display his usual devil-may-care smirk yet failed since it felt too contrived even for him. With a sigh and a nod, he agreed, then turned his head quickly enough that despite the misery it cost him he found distinct pleasure in being able to briefly kiss the pale fingers that had unwittingly lingered against his neck. As the pain from the sudden motion hit him fully and he moaned again, Yohji lay still once more and simply watched for Aya's reaction.

Scowling at his lover and wondering where the man found the energy to flirt when he was obviously in agony, the swordsman hissed softly, "Stop that, Kudou! You'll only make it hurt worse, idiot!"

Jade eyes blinked a little and as Yohji focused on trying to banish the discomfort in his head he succeeded enough so that when he answered it wasn't a total fabrication on his part, saying, "Relax, Aya, it's not so bad now." With a glance at the man in the other bed, he asked with concern, "How's Ken doing? Has he been asleep all this time, too?"

Violet eyes softened as Aya gazed at the handsome, tanned face laying against the brilliant white pillowcase and he shook his head sending earlocks dancing across his chest, "No, he woke up a couple of hours after you crashed. He was worried to see you laying here dead to the world, but I told him what happened and he said that as long as Norwegian was taking care of you, he'd assume everything was going to be okay and he'd try not to worry." 

With a soft snort of amazement, the scarlet-haired man added, "How can anyone get through life relying so totally on blind faith all the time the way that Ken does? I mean, he's over there right now, sleeping like a baby thanks to the half-dozen medications they gave him and before he fell back asleep the only other thing he asked me about you was if I'd give you a good-night kiss for him. Honestly, if *that's* all he worries about, no wonder he isn't plagued by nightmares the way the rest of us are despite everything that's happened to him."

To Yohji, however, this classic "Ken-ism" was all the more reassuring and he smiled tiredly as he asked, "So? Where's my kiss, Aya?" His smile twisted slightly as he puckered his lips together comically and seemed earnest in obtaining the show of affection even though he felt certain he already knew the reaction this would garner from his often sullen pale-skinned lover.

Yohji's violet-eyed partner pinned him with a death glare worthy of Heero Yuy, then Aya quietly snarled something unintelligible about his elder lover having lost his mind entirely. 

Despite the fact that the other two men in the room were speaking fairly softly, Ken seemed to react to their discussion, and with an unhappy noise he tried fruitlessly to shift the heavily bandaged left arm in his sleep and then he lay quietly once more. Both of his lovers had watched him and felt that lingering taint of guilt they felt regarding events less than five days old since each still continued to blame himself on some level for the massive injuries Ken had suffered in the line of duty.

Then, to Yohji's total shock, Aya's features softened as he turned back from watching the brunette and before the blond even knew what had happened, the scarlet-haired man had indeed bent over him and placed a single, chaste yet loving kiss to his lips. Blinking in amazement and jade eyes wide as a child's viewing Tokyo's prized cherry blossom trees in full bloom for the first time, Yohji simply gazed up at the man who remained poised above him for a moment. 

Satisfied that he had kept the promise he'd made to Ken which he had almost neglected to honor since he was so preoccupied by his elder partner's severe headache, Aya allowed his hands to remain where they had come to rest on opposite sides of Yohji's face on the pillow. With a smile of satisfaction for having surprised the elder of his two lovers, he quietly asked, "Want to go back to the hotel now, Yohji?" Seeing an expression of confusion on the other man's face, he straightened once more and explained, "It's after one in the morning. I'm sure that Omi and Nagi won't mind if we come back now and I for one could use some sleep."

"Oh. Um, right," the lanky man agreed slowly, barely able to process this new information since he was still in a mild state of shock from the very unexpected kiss. "Sleeping would probably be a good idea, Aya. It might get rid of the rest of this damned headache."

"That too," the swordsman answered as if there was an unmentioned something that he needed to be rid of himself. But Aya wouldn't have admitted to anyone not even himself that in that moment, as he had gazed down at his attractive partner, he couldn't help but wish that they, too, had been able to have the romantic evening alone that he incorrectly assumed the youngest two assassins had enjoyed. The fact that that wish had manifested itself in an unwanted physical response was something he knew from experience he could ignore if he tried, so that's what he automatically did without hesitation or regret.

Not aware of the other man's distraction, Yohji carefully moved to sit up on the bed, fought a wave of vertigo as his body coped with the unfamiliar sensations caused by the powerful painkillers Norwegian had prescribed for him, then swung his legs off the edge of the bed. He sat there briefly, then the two eldest members of Weiss pulled together the things they needed so they could leave which included Aya surreptitiously palming the rest of the bottle of pain pills and placing them in his pocket. 

Once Yohji had gently brushed a kiss to the sleeping teen's lips and whispered quiet words of adoration, something that brought a hidden smile of satisfaction to Aya's face, they departed. 

On their way out of the building, they stopped to see Javanese and spoke briefly with her about Korat's departure and whether or not she knew who would be replacing the ebony-skinned nurse for the noon-to-midnight shift. As it turned out, the dark-haired woman didn't know since Norwegian had still been in the process of arranging certain security issues but she assured them it would be fine, after all, Ken was already doing so much better.

After bidding her a good evening, the pair of deadly assassins ghosted from Tokyo General Hospital into a night that dripped slowly with a seemingly endless, bone-chilling drizzle. 

Their footsteps carried them past the curry shop their blue-eyed friends had eaten at and Yohji muttered something about being hungry despite not being terribly enthusiastic about the idea. Aya would've denied his own need for food, but his body announced noisily that it wanted to be fed and since the small restaurant wasn't closed yet to allow the late-shift doctors and nurses to get virtually home-cooked food, they stopped briefly and filled themselves with a hearty meal. Conversation between them was minimal and if the proprietress had been asked later if they had any connection to the handsome youths who had dined there earlier, she probably would've said "no" with a great deal of confidence.

By the time the meal was over and the last of the rice had been enjoyed with cups of fragrant jasmine-scented tea, the lanky blond man was yawning slightly and even the scarlet-haired one looked fatigued as well. They paid their bill and thanked the owner for her kindness then made their way tiredly to the Hilton.

Luckily, there were no annoying bell captains in the lobby at two-thirty in the morning to deter them from arriving at their suite quickly and efficiently. As the younger of the two pulled out a key card for the door, he cautioned unnecessarily, "Try not to make a lot of noise when we get inside. If they're not asleep yet, I'd rather they not be distracted by the fact that we're back."

Glancing at the watch that concealed his lethal wire with a small frown, Yohji remarked, "I'd certainly *hope* those two are asleep by now!" An image flashed through his mind of the first time he'd walked in on the young lovers, naked bodies lightly sheened with sweat and physically united, enjoying one another to the fullest in a warehouse in Roppongi. Even as he attempted to quell the understandable physical reaction such an intrinsically erotic memory held, he added belatedly, "After all, if Nagi wants to get back to those creeps he lives with in the morning, he'll need some sleep tonight."

"That's true," Aya growled through angrily clenched teeth, then slipped the key card into the slot and immediately received the green light indicating the door was unlocked. 

As the door was opened, the thrilling strains of one of Yoko Kanno's magnificent aerial battle soundtracks began to fill the room as Spike and Jet faced off against an unknown foe and warned both of the new arrivals that it was possible their friends had waited up for them. However, as they looked past the doorway it was all too easy to find the pair, huddled together like children who had tried to stay up for Santa and failed, deeply asleep on the couch beneath a blanket that failed to grant them enough warmth.

Clucking his tongue in dissatisfaction, Yohji muttered softly, "Well, I'll be damned. What are they doing out *here*?"

Shockingly, it was Aya who added the more important question, "And what are they doing still fully clothed?" He snorted in annoyance and missed his partner's stunned expression as he added, "This was probably their last night together for some time. Why'd they pass up a chance to be together completely?" 

Speechless in the face of the other man's utterly uncharacteristic and seemingly random hentai comment, Yohji simply stood where he was, motionless and wearing a fairly blank look on his face for a moment too long.

Ignoring the man he'd arrived with, Aya stepped into the room and approached the two teens stopping in front of them on the couch and reaching out to gently shake his youngest teammate's shoulder, asking, "Omi? Can you wake up a little?" Getting only a sliver of unaware cerulean peeking back at him, he added more firmly, "You need to go to bed, Omi." 

The younger blond blinked kittenishly at his friends and snapped Yohji out of his temporary immobility with a small yawn that made the seventeen year old look younger than he was. 

Striding over to join his own lover, the elder blond asked in a warm, soothing tone as he hoped to keep both teens half-asleep if possible, "Omiitchi? Would it be okay if Aya and me helped you and Nagi get to bed, bishounen? It's been a long day."

Omi blinked even more, realized he still held his true love loosely in his arms yet couldn't quite imagine that he had the energy to carry him to bed, nodded and around a much larger yawn accepted the offer saying, "Please?" Scratching at his head in sleepy confusion, the younger blond added unhappily, "I'm more tired than I thought." 

"That's understandable," Yohji reassured with the same warm smile, then moved to begin disentangling the two boys.

Meanwhile, the Weiss swordsman had duly noted that Nagi was wearing the outfit he'd selected from the back of Omi's closet and again there was no self-congratulations for his wisdom instead there was only a deep sadness at the teenaged lovers' missed opportunity. By no means the raging hentai that Yohji could be at times, Aya had at least come to appreciate the value of and the need for the intimate conversation of the body that two--or three as it was in his own case--people who truly loved one another could share. He correctly assumed it would be quite awhile before the two young lovers could be together again intimately and he would've preferred to have found Nagi's borrowed clothes in a heap on the floor mixed with Omi's own apparel and depicting the haste of those lost in passion.

Disregarding his thoughts easily, though, the violet-eyed man moved to gently lift the sleeping telekinetic into his arms and after getting a thankful smile from his youngest teammate, he carried Nagi to bed, something he was becoming rather accomplished at by this point. The petite Schwarz psychic instinctively nestled himself against Aya's strong chest and remained lost in peaceful dreams made more calm by the added warmth and familiar reassuring scent of the katana-wielding Weiss assassin.

Wearing a soft expression of love and wonder of his own, Omi rose and padded along behind Aya and Yohji was left to gather up the blanket, shut off the television, and then turn off the lights as they made their way back to the bedrooms.

After allowing Omi to pull back the covers and climb into bed first, Aya moved to settle the small teen in his arms back where he belonged, cuddled close to the person who cared for him more than any other on the face of the Earth. 

With a gentle smile of gratitude, the Weiss archer watched as his jade-eyed friend moved to tuck them both in warmly and even go so far as to pluck an additional blanket from the nearby closet since it felt cool and damp even inside the posh hotel. 

After mouthing his thanks silently and receiving equally silent yet not wordless wishes for sweet dreams from his eldest two teammates, Omi tucked Nagi close to him and allowed himself to begin to drift off to sleep again, not caring that they were still fully dressed. With his arms wrapped around the boy he adored, the cerulean-eyed teen's heart filled with a contented sensation of loving and being loved in return that allowed him, too, to find his way past the gates of nightmares and into pleasant dreams instead.

With a final smile, Yohji followed Aya from the room and after closing the boys' door quietly they retired to their own bedroom.

Chilled by the lingering misty rain, the two men immediately stripped out of their damp street clothes almost as soon as the door was closed. Each automatically noted the other's physique as they undressed in the surreptitious visual scan that those accustomed to long hours of undercover intelligence gathering could achieve effortlessly without being questioned about their intentions. 

In the past in the large bedroom the Weiss trio shared above the Koneko, such stolen glances were often a means to assess the interference that recent minor injuries might cause in their intimate play or even to determine who was interested in that activity in the first place. The romantic triumvirate had never limited themselves to certain groupings, thereby allowing whoever was healthy and in the mood to express themselves sexually with whoever else wanted to participate and these observations usually allowed those determinations to be made wordlessly. 

Sadly, the current situation was entirely different.

Even as Aya automatically and appreciatively noted the lines, planes, and angles of his blond lover's effortlessly seductive body, he also took in the mysterious tattoo that graced Yohji's left shoulder and its words caused him to halt mid-thought. Barely able to derail the sensual train of thought that followed taking such a close look at a body that he longed to feel pressed against his own, the words "When you gonna learn?" seemed to taunt him, as if the marking itself had gained intelligence and was angry with him. [1] Unsure what to make of the strange twist his mind had insisted upon making, he looked away and focused on pulling back the covers of their large, Western-style bed.

Yohji was also lost in thought but had been on an entirely different mental wavelength than his partner was. Jade eyes had been sorrowfully examining the many scars that decorated Aya's finely sculpted body. As always, it hurt him that there were some permanent marks there that predated the swordsman's time with Weiss and he wordlessly cursed his lover's prior team as fools to have been so careless with one so precious. [2] With that thought in mind, the wire-wielding assassin silently renewed his own oath to protect and defend both of those whom he called lover with greater vigilance in the future.

"How's your headache?" Aya's voice suddenly interrupted his partner's thoughts even as both boxer-clad men moved to stretch out on the cool yet surprisingly comfortable cotton sheets that had so patiently awaited their use.

Shrugging slightly before dropping his sunglasses and hairtie onto a nightstand, Yohji lied easily hoping to spare his scarlet-haired lover any further distress, "It's fine, Aya. Nothing to worry about." He rolled onto his side and gazed at the length of pale skin displayed before him as Aya reached up to turn off a lamp but not before the shorter man could hide the expression of unhappiness in his amethyst eyes. Barely suppressing a desire to reach out and draw the younger man to him, he added softly, "What's on your mind, baby? You seem concerned about something."

Ordinarily Aya would have avoided the open discussion of the potentially sensitive subject that was suddenly bothering him until after he'd given it a few days of thought. But considering the natural reactions of their nearly nude bodies to each other's close proximity, he felt it couldn't be avoided if he wished to suggest what he felt was only right. Clearing his throat nervously, something that he almost never did, the Weiss swordsman said quietly, "I've been thinking about Ken, Yohji, and, um, well, to put it simply, sex."

Not shocked by the topic yet uncertain what his partner was getting at, Yohji shrugged in the darkness and lay quietly on his own side of the bed where he could regard the barely visible figure less than an arm's length away and asked, "What about Ken and sex, Aya? He won't be in any shape for anything like that for months, most likely." 

The former detective frowned slightly since he hadn't even considered this aspect of the situation and was saddened by the chilling realization that if things had turned out differently, they wouldn't even have been able to have this discussion in the first place. As it was, however, if they had as much faith in Norwegian as Ken himself did, then it was simply a matter of time before they could be reunited in every sense of the word which made Aya's initial remark all the more curious.

Their younger partner was a very down-to-earth albeit enticingly sensual person yet if Ken was told to abstain from intimate relations he could do so far more easily than one might have suspected. However, for the eldest member of Weiss, a man for whom sex had provided his fundamental self-definition for too long prior to realizing that he was loved in return by his brunette teammate, sexuality remained an important focus that he had difficulty ignoring. Aware of both these facts, the scarlet-haired man hesitated before proposing a demanding agreement that he wondered if Yohji could even comply with if he wanted to.

Impatience caused by the now painful throbbing ache at the base of his skull that not even a well-cooked meal could assuage convinced the elder of the two to urge gently, "Go on, what did you want to say, baby?" In a more tender tone he added softly, "No matter what it is, Aya-love, I'll listen. Please? Tell me?"

The private terms of endearment always helped to remind the violet-eyed man that Yohji was entirely sincere at times like this. With that encouragement in mind, Aya finally put forth what he considered to be an almost impossible suggestion by saying cautiously, "I was thinking that we ought to consider agreeing to wait on having sex again until Ken can join us fully, Yohji." Gaining confidence, he hurried to include, "It just seems wrong to enjoy ourselves while he's in that hospital bed suffering. But once we're back home at the Koneko, it won't be much better as long as he's in those bandages and cast. It seems only fair to refrain from sex entirely until he's given a clean bill of health by Norwegian, but there's no way to know how long that might take and I'm not--" 

The atypical flood of words from the swordsman was stopped by the sudden, gentle placement of fingertips onto his lips and the man beside him urged quietly, "I see what you mean, baby." Yohji removed the callused flesh and replaced it with lips far more tender for a brief kiss, then he sighed and lay back onto his own pillow, saying, "Now that you mention it, I have to agree with you. We almost lost Ken this time. We're damned lucky to even be *having* this discussion and to be able to plan on regaining a life together for all three of us is nothing short of a miracle. So, yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Abstinence is the least we can commit to for him."

Violet eyes glimmered back at him uncertainly in the dark. 

It wasn't that Aya didn't believe that Yohji was capable of such a depth of feeling, far from it, he simply wasn't sure the older assassin could maintain such a vow for long. Trying to keep a non-accusatory tone in his voice, the younger of the two asked, "Are you sure, Yohji? It might be months before we can all be together again sexually." Sighing, he tried to complete his thought saying, "The gods know I was celibate for over two *long* years before joining you and Ken, so it's not much of an issue for me, but this isn't exactly something I thought you'd be willing to try."

Sighing in the darkness as the pain in the back of his head refused to subside and only built instead, Yohji answered tiredly, "Why? Because I used to be such a playboy?" With a deep and obviously pained sigh, the jade-eyed man rubbed at the back of his head in the darkness and asked, "Do you remember the last time Ken got torn up on a mission? Before we formed a ménage à trois?"

The younger of the two thought for a moment and nodded slightly, recollections of seeing Ken's handsome face covered in blood after a confrontation with a group of unschooled yakuza bullies turned into an all-out brawl that included broken bottles and lengths of pipe as weapons. With a dark snarl, the violet-eyed man asked, "You mean the time he had a concussion and four broken ribs and Omi got pretty banged up, too? Yeah, I remember that." 

Displeased to be forcing himself to recall such a dismal failure on Weiss' part since the final target, a child prostitution ring-leader, had escaped despite Omi and Ken's sacrifices, Yohji sighed again and said, "Well, what did you think I did then? Forced myself on the guy for the eight weeks it took him to recover? Hell no." A soft, self-loathing snort interrupted his words before he added, "I took a lot of damned cold showers for those two months, but you can bet I didn't agree to make love to him again until he'd been asking for it for a few weeks *and* Norwegian okayed it! Sex isn't as important as his being healthy, Aya. Trust me, I can handle it."

With a nod, Aya granted this as fact despite having some strong residual doubts and then he remarked with greater confidence, "Then you think that agreeing to abstain from sex until Ken can join us is the right thing to do, Yohji? It could be a lot longer than eight weeks this time."

With another bone-weary, pain-filled sigh the blond nodded exhaustedly against his pillow and let his eyes stay shut as he answered with sad confidence, "Beyond a doubt, Aya." 

Despite the lack of light in the room, violet eyes could see enough to confirm what his hearing was telling him and the younger of the two answered, "Good. Then that's what we'll do." Trying not to sound accusatory, he asked, "How long ago did the headache get bad again, Yohji, and why didn't you mention it?" 

The older of the two winced visibly, something he couldn't hide even in the darkness since they were sharing a bed that carried the vibrations of his motion all too easily. Realizing trying to conceal his discomfort was impossible, the jade-eyed man answered tiredly, "It started getting bad again at the curry place. I don't know why, maybe it was the food or something."

"Hn," Aya snorted in annoyance and then slipped from the bed to retrieve the painkillers from his pocket as well as to pour a glass of water from a pitcher the hotel staff had left with some cups on the dresser. Carrying the drink and medicine to his partner, he handed both to Yohji who simply rolled over on his side to take the pills, it hurt too much to sit up fully.

"Thanks," the lanky blond murmured sincerely yet quietly as he tried to ignore the pain of movement and failed. After he handed the glass back which was set aside quickly so that Aya could slip back into bed to escape the cool air in the room which was torturing his exposed skin, Yohji moaned slightly and simply lay still on his pillow once more.

Disturbed by this turn of events, Aya floundered for a moment between the desire to ask more questions about what might have triggered this painful, ongoing attack and the wish to simply gather the older man into his arms and hold him close comfortingly. Another soft moan that barely escaped gritted teeth ended his internal debate, though, and without a second thought, the scarlet-haired man closed the gulf between them and pulled the lanky blond into his embrace.

Startled at first by the contrast between Aya's words which spoke of sexual self-denial and the suddenness of being pressed bare chest to bare chest, Yohji was somewhat disconcerted until a long-fingered hand gently moved to begin stroking his back in a light massage.

"Just sleep now, Yohji," Aya murmured quietly, hoping that his lover might allow him to help him through the difficult wait for the drugs to take effect. As he felt the tension begin to leave his partner's back even as the blond head tiredly came to rest nestled against his neck, he added very softly, "we'll get through this somehow."

In a barely murmured reply that spoke of sheer agony that could no longer be denied, Yohji responded equally softly, "gods, i hope so, baby." His breath caught in his throat as a new wave of pain shimmered through his awareness and he added in misery, "but it's so hard!"

Heart aching and feeling as helpless now as he had when he saw Ken's bullet-riddled body collapsed and bleeding to death in a nameless building only a few days earlier, Aya answered comfortingly, "shh. i know, yohji, i know. sleep now, all right?" Feeling a nod of assent against his skin, he silently added the words of love his tongue couldn't seem to master. 

As Yohji slowly sank into sleep in the course of the next half-hour, Aya was left awake to stare at nothing and to ponder at length why he seemed forced to remain at a distance emotionally from one of the two men he cared for. Sadly, there were no answers that he could find alone and eventually slumber claimed him as well, relieving him of conscious worries and replacing them with subconscious hopes for a future where they might be free of the many dark forces that haunted their lives. 

For once, both the Weiss swordsman's and wire-expert's dreams provided them with safe havens from the tortured existences they face in their day-to-day lives and it was a much needed break before facing the changes the next day would bring. 

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Please note that Yohji's infamous tattoo is written in all capital letters and is lacking punctuation, but when I typed it in verbatim, it seemed to be "yelling" at me and I didn't care for that since it disrupted the serious mood of the scene. Therefore, I edited it to suit and hope that the purists out there will forgive me for changing it slightly. Then again, I left out entirely the inverted cross as well as the angel wings and coffin nails spelling out "SIN" since they weren't needed here, so I guess changing it a little is no big deal, right?

[2] Ah, it does get hard to keep including things that tie this story to the intricate web that is the florist/assassins' world without spoilers! However, if you know what this is a reference to, give yourself five bonus points! But if you don't know what this means, try not to give it much thought since it hasn't got any impact on the continuity as of right now. Suffice it to say, it was not in the name of Weiss that the man I refer to here strictly as "Aya" first faced a life-threatening confrontation, okay?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 48 & 49 will be posted together. 


	49. Farewells and a Terrifying Homecoming

Title: Cold November Rain [part 49/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-March, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 5. time: 0900-1115 hours. ++ 

***** 

Following a leisurely breakfast, Nagi donned his gray school uniform, made sure he had everything he would need to leave straight from Tokyo General after bidding his friends farewell, then quietly accompanied Omi, Yohji, and Aya back to the hospital under cloudy skies. 

After Omi surprised Ken with the volume of classic shonen ai manga he'd gotten for him--something the brunette was absolutely thrilled to receive--the group of five assassins spent some time together so that Nagi could relax and talk with all of the members of Weiss for awhile. Their shared experiences of the last few days had fundamentally changed their relationships for the better and at one point Nagi admitted that he now felt as much "at home" with them as he did with his own teammates. This off-hand remark caused the three eldest assassins present to glance at one another meaningfully, yet it had slipped past Omi entirely and the opportunity to open that particular subject was lost yet again.

As Aya indulged himself in rearranging the bouquet that he had brought for Ken, something occurred to him and he removed one of the Peruvian irises so that he could hand it to the Schwarz psychic saying, "Remember that you're always welcome with us, Nagi." Seeing midnight blue eyes smiling shyly in thanks he added firmly, "And should you ever need our help for *anything* make sure to let us know, all right?" Whether the swordsman was hinting at the ongoing unspoken concerns they all shared for the boy's imminent return to his own teammates or not went unsaid, yet it was clear that the offer was intended to be a permanent one of as broad-ranging a nature as possible.

Toying with the delicate blossom in his fingers carefully, the sable-haired youth thought it over for a moment in silence. Recalling the frightening dream the description of which had caused Yohji to unexpectedly offer immediate aid to Schuldich, Nagi asked tentatively, "Even if I need help for someone else, Aya-kun?"

The scarlet-haired man nodded solemnly and then reached out to warmly brush deep chocolate bangs from dark blue eyes as he answered, "Absolutely, Nagi. You were there for us when we needed your help finding Omi a few days ago and we want to be there for you for *any* reason you might need us from now on, understand?" 

Shy smile being replaced by one filled with deep and abiding trust, the diminutive telekinetic glanced at the cerulean-eyed teen beside him who was nodding and smiling confidently since Omi was thrilled that Aya had made the gestures that he had. Then Nagi's eyes tracked across the room to where Yohji stood on the far side of Ken's bed so that he could hold his injured lover's free hand, an unspoken gesture of unity which was echoed by the expressions of encouragement on both their faces. 

Finally certain that the Weiss field-leader was indeed speaking on behalf of his whole team, the quiet sable-haired boy let the growing feeling of hope in his heart reach its full potential and then he said, "Yes, I think I understand, Aya-kun." Turning so that each of the other young men in the room could see the smile of gratitude that radiated from his alabaster face, he added earnestly, "Thank you all. I hope I never need to take you up on that offer, but it's good to know that if worst comes to worst my friends will be there for me when I need them."

"That's what friends are for, Nagi," Ken stated confidently even as he changed the topic of conversation entirely by adding, "Oh, and friends also see to it that those they care about eat well. Are you going to be able to make some of those changes in your diet that Norwegian suggested or not, Nagi?" The claw-wielding assassin had an innate desire to nurture those around him which had previously been expressed in the care he gave his teammates in the forms of wholesome if not gourmet meals and simple laundry duty performed without complaint. Now that he had become more emotionally attached to the diminutive telekinetic than he had been before, though, he wished fervently that he could do more than simply lay there and try to obtain a promise that the boy would eat well after he left their sides.

Uncertainty darkened previously bright features and Nagi glanced at where Omi had reached for one of his hands and was currently caressing it warmly. Not wishing to lie yet not wanting to cause the recovering patient any unnecessary concern, he responded, "I'm not sure, Ken-kun." With a heavy sigh, he admitted, "I'll probably be able to tell more about what I can and can't get away with after being AWOL once I get home later, but if it makes you feel better, I *will* try to make some changes." [1] Recalling at least one tiny step already taken in the right direction, he added hopefully, "Last evening Omi told me some things about which foods I should try to eat more of so at least I know where to start, right?" 

The brunette wasn't completely satisfied but he accepted what he was offered, saying, "Sometimes 'trying' is the best any of us can promise, Nagi. Just do the best you can and remember that there's always plenty of stuff to eat at the Koneko if you can make it over without getting in trouble."

The residual darkness in Nagi's expression lifted as he blinked in surprise at the open invitation. Even though he had snuck into Omi's room a number of times after Yohji had first encountered the two of them together, he'd only rarely dared to come in through the private entrance in the back late at night when he wasn't likely to encounter Manx or their customers. Granted, he'd arrived there a few times when the other members of Weiss were present and at the time Aya had still been fairly cold to him, but in retrospect Yohji and Ken had never made him feel unwelcome. With the hopeful tone returned to his voice, he asked, "Really, Ken-kun? It would be okay for me to just show up there whenever I wanted to now? Not just after dark when there's no one around?"

Yohji chuckled and interjected, "Of course it is, bishounen! It's not as if your relationship with our Omiitchi is a secret from anyone any longer!" Finding it all too amusing without realizing the irony of the situation since the link between the two young assassins was indeed a very large secret from a certain group of psychics, he added, "Hell, I think the only problem you could run into are the fangirls at the shop! They'd probably all start fighting over who got to talk to Omi's cute friend first, but if you can tolerate giggling females, come on over!" 

In the back of his mind Nagi wondered if he actually could handle having girls talking to him or not, he was usually a fairly solitary individual around people his own age and he had liked it that way. 

The sable-haired boy wasn't part of the popular crowd at school and didn't play sports. He often missed school due to post-mission exhaustion or the migraines that haunted him from time to time and had never attended any club meetings or anything extracurricular that could be avoided. Then again, after the excruciating experience of watching one of the few people he had dared call "friend" die due to the lack of a kidney, Nagi hadn't wanted to get close to his classmates again, the emotional risk was simply too high. 

Thinking about it only a moment longer, the fifteen year old answered shyly, "I never used to be comfortable around strangers, Yohji-kun, but lately I've been getting better at it." With a tiny shrug he glanced at the lovely flower in his hand as he admitted, "I've always wanted to see what the flowershop looked like during the day with people around and the displays all set up outside. Maybe I will come over after Ken-kun gets to go home *and* I think I can do so without being followed by Schu or Farf." The fact that the Schwarz member expected to have only limited freedom after he arrived home almost went without saying, but since Nagi knew it was almost time to go, he decided to bring up the issue at this point. 

Glad that none of his teammates was saying anything negative about his boyfriend's "family", Omi said encouragingly, "I hope it won't be too long before that happens, too, Nagi-love. I know I'll miss you terribly but I'm sure that they've been worried about you and might be a little protective of you after you get home." 

Nagi laughed dryly and sighed as he shook his head, "That's putting it mildly, koi. I half-expect to be placed under house arrest for being gone so long and it's anyone's guess what I'll owe Schu for stealing his car the that way I did." With an ironic smile he added, "But I still want to go home all the same. I must be nuts, huh?"

"No, you're not 'nuts', love." Omi assured him before looking at his own teammates with a grateful smile, glad once again that fate had given him these three men for his own surrogate brothers. "As long as you feel as strongly about them as I do about my own 'family', I couldn't call you any crazier than I am. So, may I walk you down to the parking lot? It's a little after 10 o'clock already." The last part was added after a quick glance at his watch and a realization that if his boyfriend wanted to be home before noon, he might need to hurry.

"That would probably be a good idea," Nagi agreed then rose and moved to stand near Ken. With a shy smile on his face, he said earnestly, "I hope you feel better really soon, Ken-kun."

The teen in the hospital bed smiled up at the boy warmly and after silently asking Yohji to release his right hand, he held it out saying, "I'm really glad you were able to be here, Nagi. Not just for Omi's sake, but for all of us." As they clasped hands in a warm farewell, Ken unexpectedly added in an almost stern tone, "With Weiss sidelined for awhile I don't know who Schwarz will find to go up against out there, so be extra careful, all right? I can't bear to think of what might happen if you got hurt and we weren't able to be there for you the way you were here for me."

The level of care and concern that washed over the diminutive telekinetic from not only the person who had spoken but from all those present who were agreeing silently in their own ways was phenomenal. A fuzzy, undefined happiness was beginning to spread through Nagi. 

With the slightest hint of pink in otherwise pale cheeks, the younger teen nodded and promised sincerely, "I will, Ken-kun. Now that I know how hard it is to watch and wait and not be able to help someone you care about who is really hurting, I realize that I never want to cause any of my friends that kind of pain or suffer it myself when I could have prevented it." Realizing the brunette caught his implication of intending to protect his own teammates more vigilantly which might be a difficult thing to accomplish, he amended quickly, "I'll just be *really* careful, that's all."

With a nod of acceptance and a sense of relief that even if he couldn't be sure that the too-thin boy would eat more at least he might not allow himself to become endangered while on a mission for Schwarz, Ken released Nagi's hand with a smile of undisguised fondness.

Stepping up behind the two blue-eyed youths, Aya said simply, "I'm grateful that we had a chance to become better acquainted, Nagi." As the midnight blue-eyed teen turned to face him fully, the violet-eyed man placed one hand on a too-slender shoulder and added firmly, "Remember, whenever you need us, let us know. No matter what, no matter where, we'll be there for you, Nagi." 

The unnamed, fuzzy feeling intensified as Nagi combined the man's words with the image of the flower in his hand and he recalled the swordsman describing it as well as himself as "rare and greatly treasured" and he flushed a deeper shade of pink before he answered, "I won't forget, Aya-kun." Keeping his eyes riveted on amethyst ones that he had come to rely on almost as much as he did the cerulean ones sparkling delightedly nearby, he bowed his head slightly in a formal display of gratitude. Trying to find the words to express what he felt and failing, the boy finally said, "I thank you, too, for helping me learn not to lose myself in 'what if' scenarios. Omi taught me to have hope, but *you* taught me to look forward and not behind, Aya-kun."

Less than a week prior, if anyone had suggested to the Weiss swordsman that he might find himself with an almost overwhelming desire to simply gather a member of Schwarz into his arms and give him a hug he might have considered it an impossibility. Now, however, it was all too possible since that was exactly how he felt at that point and if it hadn't been such an emotionally-charged moment he might very well have done just that. Instead, his deep social conditioning told him to return the slight bow which he did even as he replied, "Whatever you've learned from me is nothing compared to what you and Omi together have taught me, Nagi. I honestly don't know how I would've gotten through these last few days without both of you here."

As Nagi found himself very nearly unable to keep the happy fuzzy feeling from overpowering him, he noticed that Yohji had stepped out from the far side of Ken's bed and stood nearby with an amused look on his face. Curious, the midnight-eyed boy asked, "What is it, Yohji-kun? What's so funny?"

"*You* are, bishounen!" The jade-eyed man smiled adoringly and asked, "How can you be so serious when what you really need is a good-bye glomp?"

"A 'good-bye' what?" Nagi asked, suddenly thrown off-balance by the playful look in the tall man's smirk.

"A 'glomp', Nagi! You know, like this!" Without further warning, arms strong enough to send a garroting wire biting through leather and flesh surrounded the much smaller assassin and wrapped themselves firmly around the slender youth, hugging him tightly and letting physical contact say more than mere words ever could. As he moved to hold the boy who had come to mean so much to them all in a more gentle embrace, Yohji whispered very softly in Nagi's ear, "thanks again for saving omi for us. you were the only one who could've done it and i'm damned glad you and he are together the way you are!"

Like a large, rainbow-colored soap bubble soaring on a sunny day, the previously unnamable fuzzy happy feeling rose even farther and danced in the telekinetic's heart. Then it suddenly burst into a myriad of joyous feelings that spun within Nagi before bursting free in the single most radiant smile anyone other than Omi had ever seen. Tossing convention aside entirely, he threw both slender arms around Yohji's neck and clung to him fiercely as he whispered back, "me too, yohji-kun! and you and aya-kun and ken-kun, too!" 

Without even thinking about it, the petite psychic had exerted his extranormal powers and instead of crushing the delicate blossom he'd been holding he'd allowed it to remain poised in midair where it spun slightly in an errant beam of sunshine that had snuck past the clouds outside. Along with the iris were multiple bright swathes of color as that same sunbeam broadened and passed through the much loved Venetian vase, bathing the austere room in a kaleidoscope of delightful hues.

Standing close by with his heart filled to overflowing with a combination of joy for the way his beloved had been taken into the hearts of those he treasured as his family and a leaden sorrow for the need to let that same handsome boy leave him, Omi sniffled slightly. With a supreme effort, he refused to let so much as a single teardrop escape and when his eldest teammate released his flushed boyfriend from the warm embrace, the younger blond was able to produce a genki smile and ask in mock-accusation, "What did Yohji-kun *say* to you, Nagi-love, to make you blush like that?"

The dark-eyed boy opened his mouth to answer, but the elder blond beat him to it by commenting teasingly, "I just asked him how soon you were going to make it up to him for falling asleep on the couch last night, Omiitchi!" As both boys' eyes went wide with embarrassment and surprise, he added with a saucy wink, "Come to think of it, though, you can both honestly say you slept together in a hospital bed, a hotel bed, *and* the couch as well, right? That's a helluva lot better than most high school kids can claim, ne?"

"*Yohji-kun*!!" Omi's voice squeaked in heightened embarrassment and even as his cheeks blossomed into a lovely pink shade of their own, he reached out a hand for his boyfriend and said, "Come on, Nagi-love! Let's get out of here before he gets even *more* hentai on us!" 

Even as he was practically dragged down the hospital corridor by the older teen, Nagi blinked in shock and telekinetically pulled his treasured iris back into his free hand before anyone noticed it was trailing them in midair like a pixie trying to conceal its true nature behind petals. 

They made their way past Javanese and waved good-bye not wishing to interrupt as she spoke at length for some unknown reason with nurse Okazaki. Hideo glanced up and shyly waved back unaware that it would be quite awhile before he encountered the sable-haired teen again, much less that their reunion would be under most peculiar circumstances. Neither Manx nor Norwegian were present that morning to wish farewell since they were meeting in nearby Yokohama with the Kritiker Research Labs scientists that were to perform the chemical analysis on Sokoke's remains, a sad reality that neither boy needed to be thinking about.

Laughing a little as the shock wore off in the elevator, Nagi admitted the truth of what Yohji had confided in him and Omi had been relieved, then had giggled slightly wondering if Aya would take the jade-eyed man to task for being so silly during such a poignant moment.

Arriving in the parking lot and unaware of violet and jade eyes upon them from the sixth floor solarium, the two young lovers walked towards the flame red Ferrari hand-in-hand once more. Stopping by the car to pull out the keys which had gone unused since their arrival, Nagi smiled sadly at his boyfriend, then opened the door and said quietly, "Since I'm wearing everything I had with me when I left home there isn't much to worry over taking with me when I return, is there?"

"I guess not, love," Omi admitted with a sigh, then glanced at the deep blue iris and asked, "But, um, won't they ask where *that* came from if you carry it home, Nagi?"

Midnight blue eyes turned towards the exotic blossom and with a sad nod of his head, Nagi agreed, "Yeah, I guess so, but I kinda wanted to keep it. Aya-kun gave it to me and all."

Brightening, the cerulean-eyed teen smiled and suggested, "Then why not let me take care of it for you, love? I can press it in a book and save it for you that way."

"It'll keep that way?" Nagi asked in confusion. Having grown up on the streets of Tokyo lost and alone there were so many tiny things he'd never experienced like the joys of flattening flowers and being able to preserve their beauty for months or even years if handled carefully. Other simple pleasures that were usually learned at a parent's knee were equally lost to him, but right now, Nagi needed a bit more botanical know-how.

"Sure it will!" Omi answered confidently then shrugged a little and added, "That nice thick volume of manga that Yohji-kun bought for me the other night ought to do a great job of it, come to think of it! And you can have the flower back as soon as you think they won't give you a hard time about it, too, love!"

Smiling once again, the shorter teen accepted the offer and then handed the treasured iris carefully to his boyfriend saying, "Thanks, koi. You always know what to do, don't you?"

The seventeen year old sighed and shook his head even though his smile didn't fade and he disagreed, saying, "Not always, love. Like right now, I know you need to go, but I hate to say good-bye." Holding his arms outstretched, he invited his beloved into a warm embrace that gained him silent nods of approval from the two men watching from high above. 

In actual fact, Aya hadn't given Yohji any grief at all over his unexpected way of showing Nagi how he felt before the young telekinetic left their sides since the scarlet-haired man himself had come so close to embracing the boy. They hadn't planned to stay there watching over the young couple like a pair of unseen guardian angels, yet for the moment two of the deadliest men in the city simply stood and watched as the boys far below gave in to the inevitable and kissed each other good-bye.

As the tender kiss broke, Nagi rested his forehead against Omi's for a moment as he said the most important thing he could think of, "I love you, Omi."

Running the fingers of the hand that wasn't occupied protecting a fragile blossom through silken, sable locks, the Weiss archer answered, "I love you, too, Nagi." With a discontented sigh he added, "Stay safe for me please, love? I'll worry so much while we can't chat online every night for awhile."

"I know, me too," the younger teen said with a shrug then they pulled apart slightly as a security vehicle drove past seeking those who might need some assistance yet kept going without giving the two boys a second glance. Nagi decided to take the opportunity to force himself to actually get inside the car and as he put on his seatbelt, he noticed the iris carefully held in the blond's gentle hand and simply smiled all over again.

Nibbling at his lip nervously, Omi asked as he pushed the car door shut firmly, "Do you think there's any way for you to let me know how it goes after you get there? Not that I think there's anything horrible to worry over or anything, it's just that…?"

There was no need for him to finish the sentence and, as expected, Nagi simply shook his head unhappily. "No, I really doubt that there is, koi, I'm sorry. If at all possible, I'll slide you a note online from school as soon as I can get to the library there, but that's probably the soonest I'll be anywhere near a communication device without being watched."

"Ah, of course," the blond boy nodded and shrugged before bringing back the best smile he could find as he heard the roaring purr of a finely tuned Italian engine coming to life at his boyfriend's command. As Nagi tilted his head up for one last kiss through the open window, he added with renewed confidence, "Then I'll just hope for the best, all right?" Not allowing an answer, he met his beau halfway and they shared one last, tender kiss that left them both smiling once more.

As Omi stepped back so that the Ferrari could gracefully ease its way out of the parking slot it had been in for so long, Nagi nodded and offered the best possible answer he could think of, "Ganbatte, koi!" 

The genki response he received might've been due to any number of things not the least of which was a random observation that Nagi looked damned good driving a powerful yet sleek machine like this one and Omi waved happily, calling above the throaty rumble of the engine, "Ganbatte, love!! See you soon!" 

"Hope so!" Nagi called back them focused on driving so that he could return the sports car as unblemished as it had been when he'd "borrowed" it in the first place not because he hoped for leniency for his actions but simply out of fondness and respect for the vehicle's owner.

As he watched the beautiful and undeniably sexy European car move in and out of puddles of sunshine, Omi realized his smile had changed and he sighed and commented to no one, "I wonder if Yohji-kun will ever get a chance to drive a car like that one? I bet he'd absolutely *love* it!"

Far above, two figures moved away from a wall of windows and returned to the bedside of the one they cherished, each lost in thought and yet hopeful that they hadn't just sent their now treasured young friend off to face some horrible punishment for simply doing the right thing. 

*****

Roughly a half-hour later, after carefully parking the Ferrari in its assigned slot at the underground parking deck which the residents of the Schwarz penthouse used, Nagi slowly stepped out of the car and wistfully ran a hand over the leather-encased steering wheel before closing the door. 

Not willing to put off the reunion that he was actually looking forward to regardless of the risks involved, he silently thanked his inherent abilities to do things like drive without experience as he stepped into the elevator that would take him home. The ride up was slow and seemed more unpleasant than usual since Nagi had become accustomed to having Omi nearby at all times recently and the first twinges of loneliness for his boyfriend washed over him.

With a sigh not unlike that of a condemned man, the sable-haired boy carefully rechecked the mental shields that had held him in good stead during his absence and found them to be as tight as ever. Blissfully unaware that a certain emerald-eyed redhead had been successfully dream-hunting almost every night in search of the "flavor" of almond, he pulled his house key from a pocket of his uniform and quietly unlatched the door. 

After taking a deep, steadying breath and desperately hoping that Crawford might be somewhere else, Nagi opened the heavy wooden door and was about to announce his presence in the traditional Japanese fashion when he was greeted by billowing black smoke in his face.

Blinking suddenly stinging deep blue eyes frantically, he stepped into the front foyer far enough to see Farfarello sitting casually on the couch playing with several frightening looking knives and the tortured remains of a whole pineapple as if he didn't have a care in the world.

On the far side of the large living room was the entrance to the kitchen which was obviously the site of whatever conflagration was causing the inky pall of greasy smoke to flood the penthouse, carrying with it the horrid stench of burnt flesh. With a cry of fear, Nagi launched himself forward when he heard Schuldich begin to shout a string of obscenities in German, Japanese, and English even as various crashes echoed through the rooms.

But before the telekinetic could get much past the couch where the Irishman was alternately watching the television and mutilating the fruit, there was a muffled explosion from the kitchen and everything seemed to stop as Schuldich's voice rose an octave and he screamed shrilly, "NOOOO!!!!" 

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] On the off-chance someone doesn't know this abbreviation, AWOL is primarily military in use and stands for "absent without leave." It's pronounced "a-wall", something your humble writer has been far too often during the penning of this Angst Epic due to Real Life throwing him as much angst as he has given the characters herein. Gomenasai.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 48 & 49 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to an exceptional young woman who really made her old man proud tonight, my darling daughter Amanda!!

{smiles delightedly, truly amazed that one of *his* kids can be so graceful and captivating on stage!}

As you may recall, I mentioned not too long ago that a great deal of my time lately has been eaten up taking my eldest to and from various rehearsals, going on costume buying expeditions, and more, all in the name of Amanda's first ever dance concert. Well, tonight was the big night and all those hours and hours of hard work really paid off for her! She performed a solo that was quite impressive as well as a couple of ensemble pieces where she wasn't lost in the crowd in the least! After the show, Lauren and I met her with a bouquet of flowers, hung around for a too-brief cast party, then took her out for ice cream sundaes at Ruby Tuesday's before surprising her at home with a trio of cheerful helium balloons, too!

{knows full well he spoiled the chibi tonight, but she deserved it as you will discover in a moment}

For a kid with attention deficit disorder who needs constant prodding and supervision to have brought home a report card with only A's and B's on it recently and to then top it off with a stupendous performance like this is quite an accomplishment. The expression of joy and self-confidence in her bright blue eyes was worth every last bit of financial expense and lost fic writing time over the last grading period. I hope that she never forgets the feeling of elation that came when the audience applauded loudly to show how much they enjoyed the show!

{stops smiling non-stop for a moment, then pouts a little and looks like a chibi-llama who doesn't want to have to tell you about the following, but, hey, it's one of those facts of life one must cope with so why fight it?}

Since the week after Easter is the traditional time for Spring Break for the public schools in our area, I must do my duty as a "good son" and haul my kids to the Coast to see my parents for a little less than a week soon. Yes, believe it or not, the llama has parents and they live on the North Carolina Coast but not on the beach itself, mores the pity! Instead, they live near a river which attracts oodles of mosquitoes but it's not the worst place in the world despite being a "yaoi-free" zone. I don't have access to a computer there much less the internet, so if at all possible, I'll try to finish the last one-third or so of Part 51 and speed edit it as well as the monumental Part 50--arghhhh! can you believe it?! this is going *past* Part 50?!?!?!--and post them for you before I have to leave town Monday morning. If something too horrible should happen and I fail to have it up by, oh, say, 10am April 1st, please forgive me, it's not an April Fool's Day joke, it's just Real Life butting in where it's not wanted again. After I get back from the Coast, there will be an intermission notice posted only at fanfiction.net with an estimate of when more fic might be available along with whatever else occurs to me to mention. 

{smirks and explains} 

In other words, there'll be a note to let you know I didn't get eaten by a river shark, in case you were worried. Um, yeah, those are real, it's a tidal saltwater inter-coastal waterway technically more than a river, but the upside is that there're dolphins in there, too, sometimes and they always inspire Erato if we see one!

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Easter or other Spring Holiday if you don't celebrate with bunnies and baskets. Here's hoping I get a chance to share the rest of the Reunion at the Schwarz Penthouse really soon, I kinda have the feeling a few people might think this is the worst cliffhanger I've come up with yet as it is right now!

{hopeful expression as he bids you--}

Adieu!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who did something else fun today and offers a riddle about it: what happens when three foolish men, a chainsaw, a ladder, some rope, and a very large, decidedly dead tree all get together in the same place? the answer: a huge mess! but it was better to trash my front lawn and driveway under semi-controlled conditions than to let it wait. as one of the guys put it so aptly, "This sucker never would've last through hurricane season!" after we discovered it was pretty well rotted through in the top twenty feet of trunk or so! see the kinds of things that keep me from writing? Real Life, what a kick in the head!)

Posted 31 March 2002 ~4:00am


	50. Reunion at the Schwarz Penthouse: Part A

Greetings and welcome to the Easter evening edition of "Cold November Rain"!

Thanks to some cold March rain, I happily excused myself from the outside chores I needed to accomplish before going away for a few days and had enough time to wrap up the Reunion at the Schwarz Penthouse for everyone to enjoy on time after all! Since I haven't heard yet from a couple of people who I thought would hate me the most for that particular cliffhanger last night, allow me to hurry and post the answer to the question, "What the?!" for all of you!

{smiles brightly as he slips on Vicious' tux, lights the marquee which reads "Angst Theatre" despite being outlined in little pastel egg-shaped lights instead of the usual Broadway style white ones, then hands you a playbill}

Tonight's performance is actually one very long scene which includes a great deal of background information as well as a closer look at a very interesting character who hasn't gotten enough attention in this story so far. In Part 50 we discover what had caused the smoke that greeted Nagi and in the aftermath of that situation, the telekinetic receives a gift of incomparable value from his German friend. Things shift somewhat in Part 51 when Farfarello joins his two friends and unwittingly provides Nagi with a gift of his own. 

{looks a bit tired yet fairly pleased overall as he announces a major piece of news for the fic} 

Before I turn you loose to discover the truth behind Schuldich's screaming allow me to ask for your future assistance, please. Basically, I've been outlining the last few Parts of this story even as Erato and Melpomene have been conspiring on the revisions for "Romantic Resolutions" as well as the major modifications of the original outline for "Scars" and I keep getting distracted. The problem is a simple one in that I have so many plotlines dangling merrily in this story setting up four or five other stories that I'm getting a little lost as to which ones to tie up here and which to leave loose until later. As you read tonight's posting run as well as the ones to come after I return from the Coast, please start to think about which characters or situations you feel you'd like to see an epilogue for that would be set roughly 2-3 weeks after Ken was gunned down. 

I realize the temptation to say "one for each of them!" is overwhelming because that's what Melpomene and I have been fighting with, but if you can narrow it down to one or two specifics that would really help. For instance, if you're worried about Korat right at the moment and I don't have a chance to go back and give him more coverage, please ask about him. On the other hand, if you want to know what Calico *really* did to Yohji in Hokkaido and whether or not it has anything to do with Monique, please stay tuned. That's all foreshadowing for later fics. 

My current plan is to wrap up the things I find most urgent in this story and move on with the intention of slipping back to the world of CNR with the epilogues you the readers ask for as standalone additions in between getting the larger stories back under construction. It's hard to wrap up something this large quickly and if I can count on you to be my conscience and guide as to who to pay attention to now it will not only build a richer background here it will also be an excellent guide for the future. After all, if no one cares enough to want to know what happened to a particular character or situation (ie: no one wonders if Nagi got any vitamins or not) then maybe I don't need to agonize over including it in future books, too.

Thanks in advance for helping me decide who and what to write epilogues about and even though some of them may be short whereas others might be long, I promise to do my level best to keep them interesting and worth your time to look for them either on-list or at fanfiction.net! 

{smiles gratefully and then encourages you to--}

Enjoy Nagi's Homecoming!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who gave himself and his chibis a pretty fun Easter present tonight! after saving it for a special occasion, the residents of the Casa de Llama popped in the "Earthian: Angelic Collection" DVD {pauses and cheers for out-and-out shonen ai in anime even though the interrupted bed scene just about ripped Lauren's heart out} and watched it all the way through! WOW! it was beyond terrific with more bishounen per second than almost anything we've ever seen before but the ending was too vague and it was watched in--coughs and gags since it was the Dancing-child's choice--English instead of Japanese. hmph! as soon as the llama has enough time to spoil himself, guess what he's going to enjoy hearing the original language track for? {happy holiday smile})

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 50/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 5. time: 1115-1130 hours. ++ 

***** 

Nagi's headlong flight across the Schwarz penthouse living room towards the kitchen through the veil of dark, greasy smoke didn't hesitate as Schuldich's cry of negation continued, "NOOOOO!! Not my *hair*!!!" 

Flinging himself into the smoke-filled kitchen, the diminutive telekinetic immediately spotted his German friend desperately grabbing for the spray nozzle of the sink and showering himself in the face with water even as he continued to sputter and screech obscenities. 

"What's going *on* in here?!?" Nagi screamed, terrified by the foul scent of burned flesh and the sight before him of a panicky and dripping wet redhead whose emerald eyes were scrunched tightly closed.

Pausing amidst his harangue against an unknown foe, Schuldich asked in disbelief, "Nagi?! Is it really *you*?" If he could have opened his eyes he would have, but as it was, he merely spun blindly towards the new arrival and held his free hand out beseechingly.

Panic-stricken midnight blue eyes were wide with fear and confusion even as Nagi automatically exerted his powers to grab a towel from the pile of unfolded laundry in a basket on top of the table and deposit it into his teammate's open hand. As soon as the fine-control work was done, his extraordinary abilities were broadened as he clamped an airtight barrier on top of the smoldering mass of something he couldn't identify on the stove, thereby cutting off the flow of smoke as well as the flames' fuel. 

Coughing violently against the smoke that remained in the room, Nagi didn't bother to address the overly obvious question preferring to plead again, "What's *happening* in here, Schu?!? Are you all right?!" Despite his eyes going nearly black with effort as he kept the seal against gaseous invasion over one burner, the teen realized a lidded, heavy cast-iron skillet sitting on the burner beside it was smoldering as well and he extended his force field to include it, too. 

Toweling his face off quickly and scrubbing at eyes that stung and felt dirty yet were filled with gladness to find his young friend had returned, the telepath exclaimed delightedly, "I'm fine, Nagi! Just a little kitchen catastrophe, that's all!" With a happy grin, he snatched the too-slender boy into his arms and hugged him fiercely, announcing, "Farfie? Hey! Farfie!! Nagi's home!!!" 

Despite being concerned about the fire he continued to suppress telekinetically, Nagi couldn't help but smile as a delighted, childlike voice called back in a light Irish accent, "I know, Schu! Nifty, isn't it? Lemme finish my thing and I'll come say 'hi'!" 

The fact that his amber-eyed friend was in one of his happy, relaxed moods was obvious but what Farfarello meant by finishing his "thing" wasn't and if he wasn't so disturbed by the potential fiery disaster he was struggling to keep at bay, Nagi would've inquired about it. As it was, though, the drain on his system was beginning to take its toll and he knew he needed to stop it or risk blacking out before he really had a chance to greet his friends properly. Trying not to sound as desperate as he felt, the sable-haired boy asked, "Could you turn off the burners, Schu? I don't know how much longer I can keep the air away from them!"

"Say what?" Emerald eyes blinking in surprise, the redhead turned to glance at the mess on the stove that wasn't smoldering at the moment but would as soon as oxygen reached it once more and he rushed to shut the power off. With an embarrassed smirk he admitted, "Oops! Forgot all about those! Thanks for covering that for me, chibi!" 

Nagi ignored the nickname entirely and asked in confusion, "What on earth is going on out here, Schu?" Realizing at least part of the answer should've been obvious, he added in disbelief, "Since when do you cook?" 

The fact that he'd never seen the German telepath trying to prepare something in the kitchen distracted the diminutive telekinetic enough that Nagi never even realized that he'd exerted a substantial amount of energy using his powers, yet didn't feel the least bit faint. In reality, his system was demonstrating the difference between his typical undernourished, exhausted state and his current heightened well being as a result of balanced nutrition and plenty of rest courtesy of the men of Weiss. 

Despite having used his powers for a substantial amount of time at a high level, the midnight-eyed boy only needed to rest a moment and then he could've repeated the performance. This was a substantial improvement over his usual stamina that would've impressed Crawford enough to give him carte blanche on groceries as well as the vitamin supplements Nagi had no idea how to obtain without encountering trouble. Sadly, the opportunity to realize this slipped away among the frantic details of his bizarre homecoming and the advantage of healthier living would be forgotten for quite some time to come.

After wrapping the damp towel around his head in a quick twist that held the long moist red hair out of his eyes, Schuldich shrugged helplessly and answered, "I started trying to figure out how to use something other than the coffeemaker a couple days after you left. Um, I'm not exactly gifted in the culinary arts, though, so it's been an uphill climb."

"I'd guess so," Nagi agreed with a small smile then asked, "Um, uh, what exactly were you trying to make anyway?" He carefully lifted the heavy lid from the cast iron skillet and got a fresh blast of smoke in his face for his trouble that made him cough violently as his eyes watered badly.

The German rushed to put the lid back down tightly then motioned for Nagi to follow him as he stepped out to the living room so he could open the sliding door to the balcony and allow the smoke to vent outside. The two of them stood gratefully inhaling long drafts of clean air as Schuldich explained, "Farf was hungry for a Hawaiian pizza and since he'd been feeling pretty crappy until this morning, I thought I'd give it a shot." Granted, this might have explained the smoking lump of bacon in the cast iron pan and it hinted at the pathetically mangled pineapple, but those details seemed unimportant to Nagi in light of this new information.

Worry lined the sable-haired teen's face and he asked urgently, "Farf wasn't feeling well? When did he get sick?" He dabbed at his now red-rimmed eyes that stung as a result of the smoke that he still wanted a fuller explanation about but since his friend's health was more important, he set that issue aside for a moment, too.

Schuldich was towel-drying his hair lightly and apologetically clarified, "Um, sorry, that's not what I meant." With an annoyed expression that had Bradley Crawford's name as the person responsible for it practically written all over it, he added, "Three nights ago, our fearless leader insisted that Farfie and I go with him to one of those damned Estet social functions where they show us off like trained monkeys or something. Some stupid old Swiss guy handed him a Bloody Mary and poor Farfie thought it was just tomato juice and drank the whole damned thing before I could stop him."

"Ewwww!" Nagi scrunched his nose up in . He knew firsthand that their knife-loving friend's stomach had no tolerance for alcohol and if events had played out that night as they had in the past, he could well imagine that Crawford's Lexus had needed a thorough cleaning afterwards. Shaking his head slightly, he commented with deep regret, "I'm sorry to hear that. If I'd been home maybe that wouldn't have happened, Farf usually doesn't have to go to those when I'm around."

"Nah, that's okay. It's Crawfish's fault for insisting on all three of us going together in the first place when he and I alone could've handled it," Schuldich commented with a dismissive wave of his hand. After shrugging slightly, he gave the youth a curious glance and asked the inevitable question, "So, where have you *been*, Nagi? You had me worried sick for awhile."

Suddenly anxious despite thinking he was ready for this inquiry, Nagi entirely missed the implication that at some point his telepathic friend had stopped worrying about him and if he'd caught that he certainly would've wanted to know why. The diminutive telekinetic had feared this moment of truth when he would be asked about his whereabouts while he was missing and other much more incriminating things like who he had been with. On the other hand, he had questions of his own like why hadn't anyone called him on his cell phone and did Crawford already know that Weiss had been deactivated? 

Now that the sable-haired teen could truly see the conflict from both sides, it was unnerving to realize how horribly vulnerable his boyfriend's team was to a group such as his own. 

Nagi was infinitely grateful for the nebulous, unspecified reason that the precog had insisted that no members of Weiss should be maimed or killed by their hands, a command he had obeyed even before he became enamored with the young archer. Since he would never find out that Crawford had foreseen Ken's surgery as well as a probable negative outcome that luckily didn't occur, Nagi would never question why there had been no steps taken to preserve the claw-wielding assassin's life. Yet that was the intrinsic nature of the type of vision the American had had that day, one which showed the image of that which was, a situation which could not have been changed by the precog no matter what he was willing to sacrifice to achieve it. Someday in the future, a similar vision would bring the raven-haired man even greater sorrow when the person at risk was someone dear to him, yet that was another matter entirely.

Fate, however, had no intention of allowing either side to get to the answers they wanted and when Nagi nervously buried his hands in his pockets, he encountered the keys to the flame red sports car he'd absconded with five days previously and it distracted him entirely. 

"Oh, wait a minute, I need to give you something!" Nagi exclaimed then held the keys out in one hand, saying, "I'm really, *really* sorry for taking your Ferrari without permission, Schu, but I was in a big hurry at the time. Um, if you want to yell at me for stealing it, go ahead, I'm sure that I deserve it."

Accepting the keys and gazing at them for a second before looking back at the nervous boy in front of him whose lovely lapis lazuli eyes were downcast as he awaited the anticipated reprimand, Schuldich simply shook his head in amazement. 

Reaching out to gently raise the boy's chin so as to encourage him to look up, the telepath stated flatly as he dangled the keys in front of Nagi's face, "You were worried I'd get upset about something as unimportant as a damned *car*, Nagi?!" Seeing a look of confusion and fear in deep blue eyes he cared about far more than their possessor realized, the redhead pleaded, "I don't give a rat's ass about that thing!" So saying, he flung the keys negligently over his shoulder, out the open door, and into the air outside the building.

Nagi gasped in shock and immediately sent out thick waves of power to recapture the keys which then floated obediently back up to the balcony then came inside to land on a table where they sparkled and reflected the late morning sunlight rather attractively. 

In the time it had taken to recapture the keys to the expensive imported vehicle, Nagi's eyes had darkened yet again practically to an obsidian-like blackness which went unnoticed by the agitated German who shook his head and placed both hands on the boy's shoulders before sending, {{Nagi? How can I convince you that I *really* don't care about the Ferrari? All I cared about was where *you* were and whether or not *you* were okay?!}}

Wavering only slightly from the considerable expenditure of power before strengthening again, Nagi questioned in response, {{But I thought you loved that car, Schu?}} 

Schuldich rolled his eyes in annoyance and answered with blinding honesty, {{Yeah, I guess I *do* like it. Who wouldn't love to have a drop-dead sexy machine like that to cruise the streets of Japan in? But it's *nothing* compared to *you*, Nagi! You're far more precious than it could ever be! You're like the little brother I never had or something!}}

Eyes that were shifting slowly and steadily back to their normal midnight hues blinked in total shock as the telekinetic tried to absorb the unexpectedly possessive statement he'd just heard. 

Schuldich wasn't a man who wore his heart on his sleeve the way that Ken did neither was he someone who could make his affections known in the sort of comfortably casual ways that Yohji did, yet his feelings were just as strong as theirs were. His adoration for the fifteen year old had grown over the years that they had lived and worked together and so it seemed odd to him that this came as such a shock to the Japanese boy whose shoulders he still clung to. Deciding he'd had enough of stepping lightly around the subject, the German chose one of the most direct methods of proving himself that he knew of. 

Even though it would ultimately give them both a slight headache, the telepath leaned down and placed his forehead against that of his youngest teammate and whispered mentally, {{Look and see what I mean, Nagi.}}

Nagi indicated silently that he would through him. Like fragments of home movies, he was presented with bits and pieces of Schuldich's best loved recollections about the sable-haired boy which swirled and flowed so quickly he could barely identify one before it was wiped away and replaced with another. Some were achingly sweet while others held a terrifying power since they were often things of which the telekinetic had been unaware of in the first place. 

Suddenly, one memory shimmered into solidity and for a few seconds, Nagi saw a much younger version of himself laughing openly as he played his first video game on his first television set inside the first private bedroom he could recall ever having. Of course, this was prior to his being sent to Estet for the inhuman training which would hammer most of the openness and joy out of him, unfortunately. 

Next, there was an image of Nagi from less than a year earlier, smiling shyly as he usually did despite the brightly flickering candles set into a luxurious cake topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries for his fifteenth birthday. They were a few presents scattered about, but the underlying emotion of the moment held anticipation since Schuldich had known that the best gift was to be a trip to a small resort for the entire group planned for the weekend. This was something the often depressed teen had once mentioned in passing that he wished they could do together and for once, there had been no complaints about expense from the American who had been promised certain unusual favors in exchange for the trip.

As the happy glow of that memory disappeared, though, it was replaced by one of Nagi's face twisted into a fierce mask of protective anger as he telekinetically slammed a group of thugs into a wall for having had the audacity to injure Schuldich. The German had been laying on the ground at the time, wiping blood from his mouth since he'd been punched in the face after being caught off-guard while guiding his lover to safety when an assignment had gone tragically wrong and Schwarz failed to live up to their untouchable reputation. If it hadn't been for the sable-haired teen's quick action, it was entirely possible that the redheaded man might have perished that accursed night.

The harsh memory was quickly replaced by one of the emerald-eyed German simply leaning against a doorframe and watching as the Japanese psychic patiently read a book to a bound and gagged Irishman during one of Farfarello's dark moments. The image was overlaid with a feeling of appreciation and awe for the boy's dedication to their mutual friend. 

There were other images that Nagi could barely sort through that included such things as the redhead sitting up all night long beside him, exchanging fever-warmed wet cloths for cool fresh ones even as he crooned German lullabies softly the previous winter when pneumonia had struck him down. Another facet of the youngest member of Schwarz's malnourished condition was an unhappy propensity for illness but the twenty-two year old telepath tried to always be there for him when he was sick.

Each image, though, whether tender or tough carried one single underlying theme to it and that was of affection and dedication which the much younger assassin had never been fully aware. Eventually, a feeling of discomfort began to build in the backs of both their minds since this form of sharing was intense and painful, yet it seemed more than worth it as the connection began to fade away. 

Remaining where he was, leaning against the younger assassin, Schuldich asked softly, {{Well? Do you see what I mean now, Nagi? Or should I show you more?}}

Amazed that there weren't tears of gratitude in his eyes despite the lump he felt in his throat, Nagi responded quietly, {{No, you don't have to show me anything else, Schu, I believe you.}} Despite their communication being wordless, he still gasped for air since he felt choked up by the strength of the emotions flowing between them and then he answered, {{Did you know I felt pretty much the same way about you and Farf, Schu? That you were like my brothers, I mean?}}

A relieved warmth grew in the telepath's heart as Schuldich heard this since it was something he had gambled on in the first place by exposing his soul so completely, then he answered, {{I'd kinda hoped so, Nagi, but what about Brad? Where does *he* fit into your thinking?}}

Nagi knew full well that the eldest two members of Schwarz were lovers and even though on some level he wished that he could give the black-haired man a glowing compliment as well, he hesitated before answering, {{I'm not really sure, Schu. Sometimes Brad's like a much older brother, one I don't really have much of anything in common with. But most of the times, he's not even 'family' the way that you and Farf are.}} He struggled with it a little as he found it hard to put into words and then he explained, {{A lot of the time, he's more like a supervisor who is stern and so wrapped up in his rules and regulations for me that he forgets I'm a person.}}

{{That's sad to hear, but understandable,}} the emerald-eyed psychic agreed with a tired sigh, privately noting that he needed to have a heart-to-heart talk with his lover if they were to try to salvage the relationship between the eldest and youngest members of Schwarz. He then straightened from his position leaning against Nagi since he didn't wish to overtax them both through the intense contact and added, {{But at least we all know where we stand with him at any given point, right?}}

{{I guess so.}} Nagi shrugged mentally and then added nervously, {{Um, I just know I shouldn't ask this, but where *is* he right at the moment? If he didn't come in here yelling about why hadn't anyone had the fire extinguisher recharged after the last kitchen disaster since you weren't using it, I assume he's not home?}}

Allowing himself to chuckle a little since this simple observation was too close to the truth, Schuldich answered, {{Oh, he's down in Akihabara right now. [1] I tried to let him know you were home, but he's blocked me out for some reason.}}

{{Oh?}} Nagi raised an eyebrow in unwilling curiosity then asked innocently, {{Um, does he owe you a present again, Schu? That's a great place to pick up all kinds of electronic stuff.}}

{{Not me,}} the German answered with a slight smirk as Farfarello made some kind of annoyed verbal pronouncement that he'd "do just that" before turning off the television with a noisy click. As they both heard the sound of knives clattering together as they were dumped on the coffee table, he explained quickly, {{But maybe he was looking for something for Farfie? He's been miserable and Brad knows damned good and well that it was all his own fault!}}

{{That would be weird to see. Crawford apologizing for letting one of us suffer because a Schwarz operation turned sour,}} the telekinetic commented with less vehemence than he might have in the past and then let his mind quiet for a moment having heard the approach of his other "brother". 

Schuldich likewise seemed content to simply stand there smiling at his newly returned friend as his damp hair clung coldly to his neck beneath its towel wrap. The telepath was so pleased that his young friend was back it hadn't occurred to him to wonder why his precognitive lover had failed to foresee Nagi's return. After all, if he'd had any idea that the telekinetic might have been home that day, he certainly would've tried to have a pleasanter greeting for him than a minor kitchen fire.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] In case you've never heard of it, Akihabara is a near legendary district of Tokyo where you can find almost anything you can think of in the way of electronics from computers to video games to things that boggle the mind. I can well imagine Nagi and Omi going there together in search of the latest computer games to share or other fun things, but Crawford probably likes to shop there for the discounts many places offer.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 50 & 51 will be posted together. 


	51. Reunion at the Schwarz Penthouse: Part B

Title: Cold November Rain [part 51/?]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 5. time: 1130-1600 hours. ++ 

***** 

Farfarello glided towards them in his disconcerting silent manner yet neither of the other two Schwarz members were caught off-guard by his presence and Nagi turned towards him with the warm smile he reserved for the short-haired teen alone and said, "Hi, Farf. I'm glad to see you again. How are you feeling?" 

With a small shrug of his shoulders, Farfarello answered casually, "I'm fine, Nagi. I felt pretty icky for awhile, but Schu helped me, didn't you, Schu?" His innocent smile was bright and for a moment it was difficult to believe this was the same man who had destroyed so many lives in his crusade against God. 

The German grinned at him, patted the teen on the back lightly and said, "Yeah, I sure did, Farfie." With a soft snort of derision he added, "We'll just be a lot more careful about what Bradley thinks he's doing the next time he wants us to go put on a show for Estet, right?"

"Sure, whatever," the amber-eyed man replied unconcernedly as he glanced at the open door in curiosity since he had no idea what had been happening around him much less that two of his teammates had been sharing an important turning point nonverbally thanks to Schuldich's telepathy. 

It wasn't unusual that the Irishman had been excluded from the intimate silent conversation for two reasons and luckily he took no offence at the routine approach to communication within the walls of their home. First and foremost, the German psychic had wanted to take the opportunity to finally set the record straight as to his feelings for his young Japanese friend and what they had shared was too personal to broadcast openly. Second and rather amusing at times, was the fact that while at the peak of his happy phases like he was now, Farfarello's mind could spin and whirl singing television jingles and pop music at dizzying speeds and it was simply easier to shut the noise out when possible. 

The bladesman smiled more as he watched some birds flying past the open door, then sucked pineapple juice off his fingers like a child before looking at the smoke that was still dispersing into the open air before asking innocently, "What happened, Schu? Did you burn one of the kitchen towels again?" As he enjoyed licking the sweet juice from the same hands that at other times had masterfully separated an unknown number of human beings from their lives, the nineteen year old seemed even younger than his telekinetic teammate despite being the taller of the two. 

There was a distinct undercurrent of pleasure in Nagi's mind that he hadn't returned to confront Farfarello when his emotional balance was off-kilter and he had to be sedated. While he held little or no fear that his friend might harm him, the much smaller teen knew better than to tempt fate at times like that and would have dutifully helped the German keep their teammate restrained if need be. The Irishman's current mental state, however, was Nagi's favorite, the one where they could enjoy cooking projects or watching anime and just relaxing together. 

While Nagi was briefly noting how glad he was that Farfarello was in a good mood, Schuldich's emerald eyes went wide and he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, *fuck*!! The pizza crust!!" Then he rushed back into the still smoky kitchen, slammed the oven door open with another curse and extracted a thoroughly burnt piece of what had recently been an inadequate yet sincere attempt at making a large, thin piece of yeast bread. Tossing the charred circle into the trash with an unexpected laugh, he called back to the two teenagers who had trailed along behind him, "Yeah, Farf, I'm afraid I dropped one of the dishtowels onto a burner, but don't worry about it, though. It was just one of the old ones we needed to replace anyway."

Padding into the room without a second thought to the acrid smoke that stung his lone eye, Farfarello lifted the heavy lid on the cast-iron skillet and then giggled slightly and commented, "Um, Schu? It usually helps if you peel the bacon apart *before* you put it in the pan."

"Oh? What do you mean?" The redhead asked in honest curiosity since the brief time he'd spent recently trying to cook had shown him it could be a lot of fun when you did it for those you cared about and he might want to continue if he didn't get bored with it first. Peering at the lump of burnt pork in the pan, he couldn't help but note the large crater-like hole in the midst of the unseparated slab and he asked sheepishly, "Did it explode in the center or what, Farf?"

"Yup, that's what happened all right," the Irishman nodded sagely and then lectured gently in his soft, kind voice, "Alton always warns that steam needs a place to go, Schu. I guess it needed an escape route that you didn't provide."

"'Alton'?" The German asked even as he prodded the cooled lump of meat with a fork and wondered if it could be saved.

"He's the guy on 'Good Eats'," Nagi offered helpfully then added, "If you cut the worst of the burnt part of that off, I think we could still cook this just fine. Want me to help?"

The redhead smiled and nodded, an action that caused his towel to slip off of his neck and fall towards the ground before being snagged from midair by a speedy, scarred hand. 

Even as Farfarello tossed the damp towel at the basket and missing since it wasn't as easily guided as a knife, the amber-eyed man asked without realizing it might cause a new problem, "When did you cut your hair, Schu? It doesn't look as pretty as it usually does." In the way that only the three people closest to the German were allowed to do, the younger assassin reached out and touched the singed ends of what had been a lock of bright red hair which was usually a source of pride.

Emerald eyes peering at the damage unhappily, Schuldich answered, "No, Farf, I burnt it trying to put out the fire in the frying pan before I dropped the towel and, oh, shit, this is just an ugly mess, isn't it?" The telepath looked so unhappy and the situation so almost normal that it was all Nagi could do to remind himself that he'd just returned home after being gone for five days. An absence which had gone undiscussed thanks to the incident with the keys to the Ferrari which resulted in a much more important set of revelations.

Even though he had yet to receive the punishments that he still anticipated getting from Crawford, the telekinetic asked, "Why not let us help clean up the kitchen mess and you can go trim your hair?" Receiving a grateful nod while the telepath went to dig through a drawer filled with various things in search of scissors, Nagi added, "Um, for Hawaiian pizza, shouldn't you use Canadian bacon instead of ham, Schu?"

"How the hell should *I* know?" The redhead asked without anger, then rose brandishing a pair of multi-purpose household sheers as he shrugged and added, "I figured out the part about pork and pineapple, went to the market on the corner and this was the best I could get. Either way, the pineapple chunks are in the fridge and I'll go see if I can save my beautiful hairstyle or not." He frowned unhappily as he gathered a handful of charred hair into one fist and then sniffled melodramatically.

Knowing better than to laugh at a man who felt so strongly about his appearance, Nagi turned to the other teen who simply stood there gazing at the basket of laundry, curious as to why it hadn't been folded yet since he forgot that he promised to do it later. Reaching out to gently touch his friend on the shoulder, the sable-haired boy asked, "Farf? What were you doing with the pineapple in the living room if Schu already had the pieces for the pizza out here?"

Blinking his amber eye to clear the irritating smoke from it as he thought, the Irishman suddenly answered brightly, "Oh, I was making a 'palm tree' centerpiece with it! The new 'Do-It-Yourself' network out of the States had a show on about making garnishes today, Nagi. You would've liked it a lot, but," he pouted slightly as he recalled what had frustrated him right before he turned off the set, "I missed the part about how to cut the core of the pineapple so it looked like a tree trunk without breaking it."

Nagi frowned slightly, when his occasionally delusional friend was in such a happy mood he hated to see anything ruin his fun and he said sincerely, "I'm sorry to hear that, Farf. Maybe they'll do a repeat of the show some time soon?"

The unhappiness then departed the other teen's face as Farfarello exclaimed delightedly, "Hey, I know! They kept saying how if you missed part of the instructions, you could download it from their site on the Internet! [1] It would probably be in English which is easier for me to follow than Japanese, too!" With a bright, childlike smile he asked hopefully, "Could you help me go online later and get it, Nagi? Then we can still have it with our pizza for lunch today!" [2] 

Without thinking, Nagi nodded his head and answered, "Sure thing, Farf, we can do that, no problem. Unless of course, Crawford has already locked me out of the computers?" His question was directed at the German who had paused long enough to discover for himself why Farfarello had asked him not to take the leaves off the pineapple before cutting pieces of it off for the pizza in the first place.

"Not to my knowledge, he hasn't," Schuldich assured. Aware that Nagi had what he presupposed was a girlfriend that he chatted online with at night, the redhead was attempting to give the sable-haired boy a chance to let "her" know he had returned before their leader revoked the privilege. So he added encouragingly, "And since I still can't get through to him right at the moment, he can't say differently so you might as well grab the chance that you have now, okay?"

Not believing his good fortune since this meant he could at least leave Omi a brief email to indicate he made it home and that the situation there was nicer than expected yet he hadn't encountered his greatest threat yet and couldn't be positive it would remain pleasant for long. With a hopeful half-smile, Nagi answered them both saying, "All right, we can get some fresh yeast dough started and then go get those instructions you want, Farf." Letting the smile broaden infinitesimally, he added to the other man present, "Thanks for everything, Schu. I'm surprised Crawford isn't letting you through to him, though. Are you worried?" 

Ordinarily he wouldn't have expressed his concern for the American precog openly. However, after having been close to Aya, Yohji, and Ken for a number of days, Nagi had become more aware of the delicate inter-relatedness all couples--and the occasional trio--shared and did not wish to assume Schuldich wasn't bothered by the situation.

"Not in the least," the German responded with a jaunty grin and a saucy wink that would've made Yohji jealous. "It turns out that I *can* think of something he owes me an apology gift for after all, and if Brad thinks of it, too, I might be getting something *really* cool like a new DVD burner!" 

Trying not to imagine what could possibly cause the usually tight-fisted American to become willing to part with a sizable number of yen simply to soothe his lover's ruffled feathers, Nagi blushed a little, nodded absently, then stammered, "Um, yeah, right. Well, let's get going on the dough and we'll probably try again on the bacon soon." Turning back to the teen whose attention had wandered slightly, he asked, "Farf? Do you want to cut the burnt edges off that while I get the flour out or do you want to dissolve the yeast in warm water?"

The slightly glazed look that entered Farfarello's eye as he indicated that he'd like to slice the meat warned both of the other Schwarz members present that they needed to be on the lookout for a possible change in the Irishman's temperament. While it had been quite nice for Nagi to have returned before his friend sank into one of his dark and often violent moods, he understood this cycle was normal for Farfarello even though no one understood what caused it. The telekinetic hoped that if he kept their time spent cooking together as pleasant and upbeat as possible, it might last a little longer.

With a shrug since no one could avoid the inevitable, Schuldich wandered off to discover that there was precious little he could do for his hair that his stylist couldn't do better and he sighed before calling to set up an emergency appointment for that afternoon. 

As life in the Schwarz penthouse returned to what passed for normal for them for a few hours, Nagi very happily went to work making pizza dough while Farfarello trimmed the burnt slab of bacon then peeled it into layers the way it should have been in the first place. Later they would indeed retrieve instructions for making a rather detailed pineapple "palm tree" garnish as well as allowing Nagi to surreptitiously leave a message for a certain cerulean-eyed youth. 

Crawford would reappear later without any gifts since that really wasn't in his nature, he'd merely been blocking Schuldich while looking at new computer accessories since he didn't want any of the redhead's usual kibitzing about the matter. The American's precognitive abilities had failed entirely to predict the return of the youngest member of Schwarz and in all honesty, Crawford was as surprised to see the boy as the others were. Of course, the raven-haired man was indeed more than ready to see to it that Nagi understood that vanishing wasn't acceptable, yet his punishments would prove to be tolerable thanks to his redheaded lover's telepathic insistence. 

Nagi wasn't overly annoyed to be put to work on both household and business-related chores almost immediately that would take his every waking hour that wasn't already needed for school and his now past due class assignments. Since he wouldn't be able to see Omi while the beloved blond had his own school work to catch up on as well as their chocolate-eyed friend to visit, staying close to home didn't sound too bad to the sable-haired youth.

No, all in all, the return of Schwarz's prodigal son, so to speak, had gone remarkably well and despite needing to coordinate having almost everything dry-cleaned to get the burnt flesh and singed hair scent out of it Nagi was happy. Now he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Schuldich cared more for him than for his car and the diminutive telekinetic began to wonder if there wasn't hope for the same level of closeness with his own teammates that he now shared with his boyfriend's. 

Sometimes absence *does* make the heart grow fonder and if that's what had happened, it was all the better that Nagi had been gone the way that he had. The next time he would be similarly separated from his teammates wasn't destined to be resolved nearly as easily or guiltlessly as this one had been and it was appropriate that the four men of Schwarz enjoyed being reunited as much as they did.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] This is for real. A cable TV channel filled with step-by-step instructions on how to do almost anything from arts-n-crafts to food to auto repair and more which posts written versions of those same instructions on the web to be downloaded for free. Weird, ne?

[2] Yet another twist on Farfarello's personality that I can see within this continuity would be varying levels of ability as his moods shift. When he is in his ultra-lucid state, he is probably a better hacker than Omi is but when he's in the happy, relaxed mood the way he is here, it would probably be best to have Schwarz's resident computer expert give him a hand. As for what would be best when he's in a dark, homicidal mood, well, I'd assume that keeping him away from electronics in general would be a good idea unless you wanted them destroyed.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 50 & 51 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to a special friend for more reasons than I can begin to remember to list, yet let me do something before telling you who it is!

{gets out the Horn of Friendship, ties on a banner that reads "Happy Belated Birthday!!!" and plays the tacky Birthday song with a smirk} 

So, whose birthday are we celebrating and how far after the fact *are* we doing it?! Well, the lovely Lady of the Moment is the ever adorable Ami-chan--please note that she is *not* a Blockhead and never will be!--who had a birthday way back on Groundhog's Day, February 2nd! Since a gentleman never speaks of a lady's age--unless, of course, she's particularly excited to brag about it the way Amanda was when she turned 13 and "finally" became a card-carrying teenager!--let's just say that the lovely and enchanting Ami is old enough to be given belated birthday glomps and young enough to giggle if Omi and Nagi tickle her when they do!

{the llama smirks and watches two blue-eyed teens glomp adorable friend and then chuckles as she does indeed giggle in that light musical voice all young women are entitled to have}

Now, before I forget, there're some other spectacular things to mention about her as well! Way back when I was feeling down and bummed out, Ami-chan drew me the most fabulous image and she said I could share it with the world, too! Before you copy and paste the URL into your browser, though, there's a warning on this image: it can and *will* make you go, "Awww!! Kawaii!!" loudly enough that other people will want to see it, too! Since it's delightfully G-rated feel free to let even the little tykes see this one, my own chibis simply adore it!

Omi and Nagi and a Friend: http://www.geocities.com/ami_chan616/Llama.jpg

Another kawaii image that she shared with me was one that features one of my favorite shonen ai fic inclusions: a bishounen carrying a sleepy friend in his arms! Nothing explicit here either, safe for all viewers as long as they aren't rampantly hentai and assume too many things about why one boy is so tired and just where exactly his "friend" is carrying him off to!

Nagi and Omi: http://www.geocities.com/ami_chan616/NagiOmi.jpg 

Ami-chan has other adorable images that she has shared with the members of NagiML and if you're a member I hope you take advantage of your chance to see more kawaii things by a very cute young lady! 

Other than artwork, this wonderful person is also one of the four people who still routinely send me private emails regarding CNR despite my inability to send thank you notes for them and for that, I thank her heartily! She's always got an interesting point of view on my stories that sometimes gives me a new approach or helps me realize something wasn't clear earlier. 

I also get a kick out of the fact that she, Yanagi-sen, and several other wonderful women have formed a Sisterhood of which I am the lone Brother! Even though I haven't had a chance to do much for my sisters yet, I hope to in the future and if they're all enjoying CNR I hope they take this opportunity to give Ami-chan a few belated birthday glomps, too!

{smiles tiredly, yawns a little and realizes he should've written this *before* becoming completely enamored of Chihaya, Kagetsuya, and all the others from "Earthian" even though he now has the most marvelous images in his head for an alternate ending that includes a three-way romance for the three angelic bishounen from the "Final Battle" episode! ah, two seme-types fighting over a positively adorable uke only to have the "little one" find a better answer than arguing! not that I assume Chihaya wouldn't be perfectly happy with Kagetsuya alone and not need Messiah, this is just a random hentai thought! fluffy lemon dreams, anyone?}

Well, that's it for me tonight! 

I hope that all my Schwarz fans out there enjoyed this two Part reunion scene despite a lack of fun with good old Bradley! I'd hoped to include him, but in all fairness, I wanted this to be a predominantly happy scene and having him show up and angst throughout his "I'm acting like a badass but I really just want to hug Nagi and tell him I'm glad he's back!" punishment lecture would've ruined it. Who knows, maybe someone will convince me to do a sidefic or epilogue about it later, right now I need to wrap CNR up and move on. 

After I return from the Coast I'll drop a note at fanfiction.net to let you know what's in store, all right? Hopefully there will be more than the three reviews I received so far for the gigantic Parts 48 & 49 since there was a lot of stuff in there I was wondering about reader reaction to when I get back. 

{waves gratefully at Cat and Shadow Catcher who took the time to leave the llama notes there since they both made him smile a lot tonight!}

Time to post and sleep before the longish drive south, something I don't dread as much as usual since I need the time to contemplate the many wonderful ideas for the "Schwarz Finds Out" tale that may even have a title when I get back! {genki smile} I hope everyone has a great first week of April and with some luck we'll get this story finished and something new begun before the month's half-gone!

Catch Ya on the Flip Side!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who passed on all the kind words of cheer to darling Amanda and she tiredly smiled and thanked all the folks who encouraged her, something that the llama is also proud of from such a polite daughter. {slight frown} now if only he could think of a way to get her to act that politely towards her sister a little more often, there might be fewer arguments that include "But, Dad~dy! *She* started it!" in the Casa de Llama!)

[[Special note to fanfiction.net friends: 

Please take my invitation to request epilogues seriously since I truly wish to use them to focus on the characters and situations that are of greatest interest to my readers here after CNR completes its posting runs soon. After that happens, I will ask another favor, which is that you check back on the fic from time to time after it "ends" to see what has been added in case your request was honored by Melpomene and I got it written up for you to enjoy. 

Since these additions are still part of the original "Cold November Rain" concept, I'm sorry but there will *not* be any citrusy epilogues, no, not even a lime. However this is indeed what side-fics can be used for as Priscilla can attest since her three-way lemon for Yohji, Aya, and Ken based on Siberian's sweet little dream about them being at the Weiss chalet is currently brewing in Erato's delightfully dirty little mind! 

Thanks ahead of time and {tries to sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger for a moment as he promises} I'll be back!

~E-sama~]]

Posted 1 April 2002, ~4:00am


	52. A Change in Personnel and a Focus on Hea...

Greetings and welcome once again to the premiere showing of "Cold November Rain" here at the one and only Angst Theatre! 

{cheers happily since he's as pleased to have this back to being actively posted as the readers possibly are!}

After taking longer than I thought it would for all the usual unpredictable and bizarre reasons that I lump together under the heading of "Real Life Monsters", I am utterly delighted to announce that the rough draft of this Angst Epic that has ruled my life is done! Currently weighing in at an astounding 1,202kb, the unedited complete version is easily larger than many novels I've read and I sincerely hope that everyone reading this feels it was worth not only their effort to read it but also my effort to script it! 

{feels extremely grateful to a few readers who've gone out of their way to endorse his lengthy approach for presenting this and hopes that sentiment is shared by everyone else, too}

As you will note in the indicia below, there's a total of *62* huge Parts to this one as of now and since there will possibly be epilogues added later as well as definite side-story additions with separate titles, this tale isn't even truly finished yet! However, since everything that I wanted to achieve in the primary or base fic is included in the rough draft, I felt it was safe to go back to posting runs and that explains why I'm here to entertain you tonight! 

{puts on the music for "The Entertainer", slips into the borrowed tuxedo which was freshly cleaned after Vicious and Gren enjoyed an unexpected Spring Break vacation together and the white-haired bishounen needed it, then lights the marquee and gives you a playbill with a smile}

Tonight's performance opens with the actual Part 52 which replaces what will hopefully be the final intermission notice at fanfiction.net in case you wondered about the numbering system there. Our focus returns to the men of Weiss at Tokyo General Hospital as Norwegian introduces a new member of his staff and sees to it that both Yohji and Ken receive thorough medical exams. In Part 53, the portly Kritiker physician provides the men of Weiss with a great deal of news but it's not necessarily everything they need to hear despite the crucial importance of most of it as it pertains to the man who nearly died five days prior.

{hopeful smile as he mentions a couple of little things then turns you loose on more of the fic}

When I sat down to edit this for you tonight, I almost forgot that these scenes are set to occur almost simultaneously with Nagi's reunion at the Schwarz penthouse. Of course, as soon as I remembered that, I was good to go as to why they're talking about Yohji's headache still and everything else. If you think keeping track of this is confusing for *you* imagine what it's like for *me* since I was writing a piece datestamped "day 30" in the continuity earlier today! 

Oh, another thing before you get started on these last five posting runs, the timeline in the story is about to *finally* pick up speed. Please watch the date and timestamps that begin each and every Part since they're your guides to not only how long has it been since Ken was shot but also where the characters are in the calendar year in a general sense. {sweatdrops} Um, at least, they are *supposed* to be doing that for you, but it's not been mentioned in reviews or feedback lately and I'm never sure if readers notice stuff like that even though I lose sleep worrying over continuity issues and details, myself. 

Last but not least, my apologies to those of you who signed up for my Updates ML and haven't heard anything yet. My swiftly sailing plans for that hit a submerged rock and part of the keel was torn off. As soon as I bail enough water out to get them afloat again, there *will* be a message with the new stuff I want to do, but for now I just want to get CNR out for all my dear friends to read first. I hope this is an acceptable decision to the majority and I now turn you over to your regularly scheduled fic!

{looks extremely tired yet pleased as he *finally* gets to say three of his favorite words again}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who wishes to point out that due to Melpomene needing to squeeze a ton of details and angst out of him to add to the story before it ended, the remaining *11* Parts are actually longer than the first *16* were which were already the size of *20* regular GW-llama-fic Parts! wow, talk about inflation! looks like those "instant gratification warning flags" are here to stay, ne?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 52/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 5. time: 1130-1245 hours. ++ 

***** 

Even as Nagi was experiencing a fairly dramatic yet ultimately heartwarming reunion with his own "family", his boyfriend's teammates were receiving a visit from a trusted friend who had arrived with a combination of both good and bad news.

Norwegian knocked politely at the door to Room 646 and then entered with a cautious smile, more than a little concerned that Omi might be angry with him regarding what had occurred there the day before. He needn't have worried, though, since the cerulean-eyed boy hadn't disagreed with what the man had tried to do only the manner in which it had come to pass. Without his usual mask of fatherly confidence in place, the gray-eyed man asked hesitantly, "How is everyone doing today?"

With a sad smile of his own, Omi looked at him from where he sat on a visitor's chair near the window which boasted the brightly colored flower arrangement and answered, "We're okay, I guess, Norwegian." Glancing at the cold, empty chair near his own he added quietly, "Nagi left already to go home."

"I see," the portly physician nodded slowly, then apologized quietly, "I'm sorry for making him so uncomfortable yesterday, Omi. However, I hope that perhaps my words will not go unheeded. He truly *does* need to eat far more than he had been in the past and if his nutritional needs aren't properly met, I fear what long-term risks he may be facing."

"I understand," the sad blond teen agreed then sighed heavily. Gazing guiltily at his hands where they lay listlessly in his lap, he shook his head slightly and said, "I feel pretty stupid for not realizing that sooner. I mean, you guys only saw him without a shirt the other day, I'd seen him naked plenty of times and it never even occurred to me that the fact that he was so very slender could be a bad thing."

Behind him and standing near where Aya sat beside Ken holding the brunette's hand gently, Yohji cleared his throat to get their attention then said, "Don't hold yourself responsible for that, Omiitchi. You're as much a kid as he is and no one expects you to stop enjoying a moment of passion to analyze the way your lover looks searching for flaws." Jade eyes sliding down and over the two men beside him he added tenderly, "I know that I sure won't be when that time comes around for us again."

Both of the men looking back at him smiled to one extent or another to acknowledge the fact that while Omi had taken his time returning to their sides after saying good-bye to Nagi, Aya and Yohji had told Ken about their vow of abstinence while awaiting his full recovery. 

The chocolate-eyed teen was a practical man, though, and he already doubted that this was a healthy decision for the elder of his two lovers if for no one else, yet he wouldn't cause anyone sorrow by pointing it out just yet. He'd simply bide his time and if Yohji seemed to get too edgy, he'd remind him that there were all sorts of perfectly wonderful things they could do with their mouths that didn't require as great a level of health as a full sexual experience might. Granted, that suggestion would be overruled in favor of an all-or-nothing approach, an error in judgement that would take months to sort out.

While he appreciated the Weiss team's ability to discuss intimate matters openly, Norwegian knew there were other issues to address and so he changed the topic of conversation entirely by asking, "Balinese? Did you have any further trouble with the headache that hit you yesterday?"

Looking distinctly unhappy, Yohji nodded and admitted, "Unfortunately, yeah, I did, Norwegian." Shaking his head and causing long wavy locks to shift and flow around his face, he added with obvious distaste, "I even had to take a couple more of those pills last night. I really hate taking stuff that knocks me out like that, but it seemed better than suffering."

"Of course it was, Yohji," Aya unexpectedly commented hoping to grant some of the reassurance he once wouldn't have even bothered to try to share. Now that he was more capable of expressing his emotions in circumstances like this, he gazed up at the jade-eyed blond with concerned amethyst eyes and stated flatly, "There's no more reason for you to be miserable than there is for Ken to be. If there's a medicine that helps either of you, then just take it and be glad that you have the option."

From where he lay on his mound of pillows, the brunette added his own opinion on the matter, "Aya's right, Yohji. And if I'd been there, I'd have said the same thing, of course." With an expression of worry he then asked Norwegian, "But what caused the attack in the first place, doctor? I feel stupid that he convinced us not to worry about the ones he'd had a few weeks ago, so I hope there's some answers."

"Unfortunately, I don't really know, Siberian," the Kritiker physician answered truthfully, "but I intend to find out if I can. Balinese, I had mentioned to Abyssinian that I wanted to give you an exam and perhaps run a few tests regarding this if you experienced a relapse. With Weiss deactivated for a few months, now would be an excellent time to address any underlying medical issues that affect any of you."

With an elegant shrug of his shoulders, Yohji agreed, "Sure, if that's what you think is best, Norwegian. Want to get that out of the way right now or wait until we can do this over at KMC?"

"Now will be best," the doctor answered then added as he paged Javanese, "Besides, there's a few other things we need to deal with as well. Give me a moment, won't you?" He moved to step outside the room pulling the door partially shut behind him and left behind four rather confused young men who obediently remained where they were wondering what was going on.

In the hallway, muffled voices discussed something none of the members of Weiss could make out and then the door opened fully to reveal not only the two Kritiker medical personnel, but a certain shy 30-something male nurse practitioner as well. With a regretful smile that spoke of his sadness about even temporarily losing one of his most well-loved and respected associates, Norwegian said, "Gentlemen, may I introduce you to Kritiker Medical Center's newest addition to its staff? Nurse Okazaki has accepted my offer to join my team to replace Korat and he will be alternating shifts with Javanese during the remainder of your stay here at Tokyo General, Siberian."

"That's great!" Omi responded with sudden happiness, surprised yet pleased by the news that the quiet man who had somehow impressed his boyfriend enough that Nagi had asked that he be included in their feast two days prior would be someone that they would continue to interact with. Standing and going over to shake the man's hand, something that caused that same curious shy smile to brighten a bit, he added with gentle curiosity, "But if you're a Kritiker operative now, don't you need a cat codename like the rest of us, Hideo?"

Modestly glancing at the floor, the man who was only a few inches taller than the teen in front of him answered quietly, "I'm sure one will be assigned to me sooner or later, Omi. Um, I mean, 'Bombay'," he blushed slightly as he tried to remember that he needed to follow the Kritiker way of doing things now. Then he said more firmly, "But right now all I want to worry about is seeing to it that you are all given the best of care. If Norwegian and Javanese believe that I might be of some small assistance, I will endeavor to serve you as well as I am able."

"I think you'll be great, Hideo," Javanese smiled warmly at him and added gently, "and don't worry about codenames and stuff like that. You got to know the Weiss team by their real names first and it's okay if you call them that while we're here at Tokyo General. Once we get you established back at KMC you'll pick up on all this stuff as well as get the standard Kritiker orientation and training which will make it a lot easier, okay? For now, why don't we just do what we came here for, all right, Norwegian?" 

The doctor smiled warmly at his associate who had done so much behind the scenes in a short amount of time to make acquiring Okazaki's skills possible. With a glance at the trays of medical implements that had sat patiently awaiting their use, he instructed, "That's an excellent suggestion, my dear!" Turning towards the men of Weiss, he resumed his role of medical provider and stated simply, "We need to do some blood work on both Siberian and Balinese. There are a few neurological tests that I want to perform on Balinese, too, of course. Then, I'd like to give Siberian a complete check-up before relating to all of you the results of some lab tests that were evaluated at KMC last night and this morning."

"Oh? Results on *whose* tests, Norwegian?" Yohji asked, not questioning the need for his own tests which he was agreeable to if it meant he might not be hit by anymore debilitating headaches. "Ken's or Sokoke's?" In his heart he desperately wished that Nagi's name was on that list, too, but now that this was out of the question, he tried not to dwell on it.

With a grim smile on his face that told them nothing of what was to come, the portly physician lost all of his joviality and he answered simply, "Both. Now, come with me, Balinese, we need a room with less sunshine in it for these tests." 

Blinking jade eyes in surprise not only at the man's words but also the fact that he hadn't noticed that it was indeed fairly bright for a change, he shrugged and followed the older man and Javanese as they headed out of Ken's room. They ended up in a small, unused office area where they accomplished the assorted tests quickly and efficiently ending with the nurse easily collecting several vials of blood from him without explanation. Yohji barely refrained from asking about the mysterious test results since he knew they'd all hear them at the same time and merely did his best to answer the questions the Kritiker physician had for him even though they didn't tell them very much in the final analysis.

Meanwhile, Okazaki drew a significant amount of blood from the recovering patient while quietly telling Ken, Aya, and Omi what each tube was for and what it would measure despite the fact that the three assassins had no clue what most of it meant. In between various steps, he accepted their words of welcome to the Kritiker team in his usual humble manner, smiling slightly when Ken pointed out that he thought that the man from the small fishing village had a better bedside manner than Javanese did. 

The self-effacing nurse assumed this was empty praise, yet it wasn't. The brunette simply preferred the quiet man's lack of personal questions that he didn't realize were actually part of the female nurse's routine job requirements since the medical staff was expected to monitor the Weiss members for mental health as much as anything else. 

As the last few notes were made on Ken's chart regarding simple vital signs like pulse rate, blood pressure, etc, the other three returned. 

Glancing at his newest team member, Norwegian was pleased to see that Okazaki had already achieved the fundamental data and sample gathering and then he asked, "Siberian? Do you want your teammates to stay during this exam or would you prefer some privacy?" Seeing a curious look in chocolate eyes, he added pointedly, "I did say this would be fairly *comprehensive*, you know. It might be a bit more than what you wish for them to share with you since memories of certain things do tend to linger." His deliberate implication that what they might see could be fairly startling and unpleasant was clear, yet it made no difference to the patient himself.

With a small shrug since he didn't want to aggravate the broken arm that was throbbing painfully since Norwegian had ordered a reduction in painkillers prior to the exam so that they wouldn't mask any symptoms, Ken commented pragmatically, "That's up to them, doctor." With a quick, appreciative glance at his lovers and friend, he added in tones that spoke of his appreciation and gratitude for his teammates' efforts, "They saved my life by hauling my butt in here the way that they did. If they want to see what else it took to keep a stubborn ex-goal keeper like me alive, that's up to them."

Norwegian hid a satisfied smile behind some paperwork as Aya snorted in annoyance and stated simply, "I'm not leaving, Ken. You're alive and healing. There's nothing that can possibly disturb me about anything that was done to guarantee *that*!"

"Same here," Yohji said with a proud smile that was directed at both of the brave souls he was honored to be able to call his lovers. Then he cast a worried glance at Omi, a boy he knew could handle seeing the results of radical surgery better than he himself could yet knowing this was reminiscent of what had caused his boyfriend to collapse not so long ago concerned him. The cerulean-eyed teen had experienced so much pain in the past few days and the elder blond couldn't help but wonder how much longer his young friend could hold up under the pressure if he didn't find some kind of distraction soon.

Not to be deterred by what had happened in the past, the Weiss archer spoke up confidently and remarked, "I'd like to stay, too, Ken-kun. I know the wounds were well cared for and I'd like to see how well they've healed by now."

"Okay, guys. Sounds good to me, too," Ken agreed, pleased that they were as fearless in the face of this type of thing as they were in all others then he said with gentle pride in his surrogate family, "There's your answer, Norwegian. Do whatever you need to and let's get this over with so we can talk about those results you mentioned."

"Very well," the Kritiker physician set aside the chart he'd been glancing over and then he motioned to his two nurses to close the door fully and the examination began in earnest.

Almost a full hour passed as each and every suture was examined other than the ones where various screws and bolts had been installed to help the compound fracture in Ken's left arm to heal properly. The heavy cast which held the shattered bones securely in place would go undisturbed for some time to come. Even after the healing process had proceeded fairly well for two months, there would be additional surgery to removed the metal and it would cause additional time to be added before Siberian was given a clean bill of health in late Spring.

The ins and outs of assorted catheters and Foley tubes were closely examined and in all honesty the ones which were assisting in the removal of bodily wastes were about the only thing that caused even mild embarrassment for anyone in the room. Despite having intimate relations with someone, seeing soulless plastic entering and exiting a person's body in certain places could be disconcerting.

By the time they were done, the former athlete was covered with almost entirely new dressings on his wounds and despite feeling tired from the experience, Ken was pleased to have heard as many positive comments regarding his progress as he had. He mistakenly thought it might mean he was leaving Tokyo General sooner than he was, but a little optimism wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Satisfied that he'd given the claw-wielding assassin a full exam and feeling he needed a few minutes of peace to record his observations, Norwegian quietly indicated that his two nurses needed to take care of post-exam matters then stepped outside the room. It was unusual for him to repeatedly need time alone, yet the two mysterious deaths he had no answers for yet plagued his thoughts, distracting him from thinking clearly about the living who needed him more than the dead did. The gray-eyed doctor wanted to make sure that he was focused and wouldn't gloss over any key details for either of the two florist/assassins who he was concerned about and so Norwegian gave himself the extra time that seemed so self-indulgent. 

As Javanese prepared a syringe that would allow a faster delivery of painkillers to compensate for Ken having gone without them longer than usual, she asked, "Hideo? Would you go ahead and get Siberian a blanket now? We're done for the most part and I think he's probably cold."

"Yes, ma'am," Okazaki responded respectfully and went to get one from the special warmer that they had by the nurses' desk since he always thought those were better for situations like this than the ones that were stored on a shelf in the room.

The bluish-black-haired woman laughed slightly and shook her head before commenting, "He's making me feel old calling me that." Coming from a small rural area, Hideo was far more polite than most of those present and seemed to refer to everyone deferentially, a nuance that had become rather obvious during the intense medical examination.

"Yeah, I can well imagine, Javanese!" Yohji snorted quietly, smiling adoringly at Ken whose hand he held at the moment hoping to show him all the love he felt for him through that simple contact. With a smirk, he added as he gazed at his dark-eyed partner, "How'd you think Kenken here musta felt being called 'sir' over and over during the last hour or so?"

"Respected, maybe?" Ken found the energy to tease back and then he yawned and clasped Yohji's hand more tightly before adding, "Not that I don't usually feel that way, of course, it's just strange to hear it from someone that isn't a part of my team. The gods know that the fangirls at the shop never call me that!"

"Of course they don't," Aya remarked from where he leaned against a wall with a secretive yet adoring smile on his handsome features as well. With a slight twinkle in eyes the color of amaryllis blossoms he added, "The only one at the Koneko who calls you that on a regular basis is Momoe's grandniece and we haven't seen her in months. Either way, though, if you'd rather the fangirls started calling you that, I'm sure we can find some way to influence them to do so, wouldn't you agree, Omi?"

Picking up on the artificially lighter atmosphere they were trying to create as they all awaited the doctor's revelations, the blond youth nodded enthusiastically and offered, "Sure we could, Aya-kun! But they'll all be so glad to see you again whenever you get to go home, Ken-kun, I doubt we could make much of a difference any time soon, though." With a tiny frown he remarked, "By the way, I think that the motorcycle accident cover-story is a good one for this, but do I really have to mess up your Kawasaki to make it believable? Who's going to check?"

"How should I know?" Ken answered then smiled as Okazaki returned and draped a deliciously warm blanket over his deeply pained, cold body. With a contented sigh, he added, "Don't worry about faking a wreck if you don't feel like it, Omi. We can always say I trashed a rental or something, right?"

"That sounds better," the cerulean-eyed boy smiled gratefully, relieved that he wasn't expected to damage his friend's treasured machine in the name of verisimilitude after all. 

Not that it would be the first time they'd done something like that, though. In fact, Yohji's car had been given cosmetic damage once to cover for injuries the lanky blond had sustained in an unexpectedly brutal confrontation with Schwarz months before the two blue-eyed assassins had met at the café, yet it had been disheartening to have had to do it. The idea of taking a sledgehammer to the smooth metal of the Kawasaki that would most likely go unused for months anyway simply depressed Omi and was an unnecessary negative in their lives.

Glad to have that seemingly minor detail out of the way, Ken allowed himself to relax against his pillows and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of those around him. This wasn't as pleasant as a quiet evening at home by any means, but it seemed nicer and less stressful than things had been lately and he simply enjoyed the sensation of sunshine falling upon his hospital bed in peace for a few moments.

Omi quietly contemplated his hands where they lay clasped in his lap and he briefly worried about his boyfriend and hoped fervently that everything was all right for Nagi even though he doubted that was the case. He sighed deeply and felt helpless for a moment, then tried to put it out of his mind.

Neither Yohji nor Aya was willing to break the momentary quiet and neither were either of the Kritiker nurses, leaving the room to be filled with a silent atmosphere of anticipation as they all awaited Norwegian's promised sharing of various lab results.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 52 & 53 will be posted together. 


	53. A Surfeit of Good News is Tempered by So...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 53/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 5. time: 1245-1530 hours. ++ 

***** 

After making detailed notes regarding both Ken and Yohji's exams and then mentally centering himself once more, Norwegian returned to Room 646 and asked, "Well, gentlemen, shall we discuss those results I promised you now?"

"Absolutely," the Weiss field-leader spoke without hesitation, immediately assuming command and letting his tone of voice indicate that they were all taking what was about to be discussed very seriously. Without falling into a fully cold mission-mode, the violet-eyed man indicated with a nod of his head that all of his team was prepared to face whatever information was available and that the doctor ought to hurry up and tell them what he knew. Patience wasn't a virtue that Abyssinian routinely practiced other than during a surveillance operation.

Accepting the shift in mood, the doctor took a deep breath, glanced at his charts and then smiled broadly as he said, "I'm pleased to be able to say that I have an unexpectedly large amount of good news to share with all of you regarding Siberian's progress." The expressions in the room were universally hopeful and he felt it had been worth the risk to be so positive in the face of the few rather serious unknowns he would get to later. 

"Care to elaborate, doctor?" The scarlet-haired man inquired impatiently as he hoped against hope that somewhere in the test results there was something regarding both the kidney and spinal injuries which were the most serious issues yet to be resolved. Now that he had publicly proclaimed his love for the chocolate-eyed teen, Aya had become even more attached to Ken and waiting even a short amount of time to hear good news about his condition seemed difficult at best.

"With pleasure," Norwegian agreed. With his classic genial and reassuring smile in place, he explained, "First, the results of a number of tests have indicated that lung function has improved dramatically and the chest tubes will be removed later today even though the supplemental oxygen will need to be maintained for quite awhile."

"That's good," Ken grumbled sleepily, glaring at the annoying tubes that always tented up the top of his blankets uncomfortably letting in too much cool air for his tastes as well as being painful in and of themselves. "I won't miss them but I'm sorry they couldn't have been removed before Nagi left, they still grossed him out, I think."

"Yes, I agree," Norwegian said disappointedly. "But we couldn't rush it and at least this way, should he find some opportunity to visit again while you are still here it might be a pleasant surprise for him, right?" 

"I guess so," the patient agreed dispiritedly then asked, "What else have you got for me, doctor? Anything new on the rest of this mess?"

"Indeed, there is, Siberian." Norwegian's smile broadened considerably as he glanced from the chocolate-eyed teen over to the man's two lovers and he said, "The damage to the lining of your heart seems to be healing well and there's been no disruption in cardiac function because of it. Also, the injury to your thigh is showing a marked reduction in inflammation and swelling, plus preliminary phases of tissue regrowth are visible. Since we can not check the progress on your arm as easily, it's reasonable to assume that it, too, is demonstrating a commensurate improvement since the damage--to a certain extent at least--was similar in both places."

The suntanned former J-league player smiled slightly when he heard these things that indicated that even though the road to recovery would be a long one, he could look forward to regaining much of his physical ability if everything else went well, something that was not at all guaranteed. With a hopeful note in his voice, Ken asked, "So, you mean there's a chance I might be able to coach my neighborhood kids' soccer team when Spring training begins?"

The portly physician chuckled softly and nodded slowly before saying, "One might hope so, son, but there *are* two other significant hurdles to overcome before that is even a possibility." Seeing the cloud pass across the brunette's features upon hearing his warning, though, he then smiled confidently and added, "But there's good news on one of those issues, too, my young friend! Believe it or not, preliminary results already indicate that your system is reacting favorably to the use of KNT-0201. There are indications that the spinal damage is beginning to repair itself and at the rate it's progressing, there should be no residual difficulties by the time you're released from the hospital."

Delighted as well as shocked, Yohji still found the ability to speak and asked in confusion, "Really, Norwegian? It's only been a couple of days, how can you be sure so soon?"

"And what about those side-effects you mentioned, doctor? The temporary blindness and everything?" Omi interjected anxiously, rising to his feet in excitement. It seemed this news was too good to be true and they didn't want to get their hopes up for nothing, yet so much happiness had already been granted by the earlier pronouncements that it was helping him to at least temporarily forget his worries about his boyfriend. 

However Norwegian merely shook his head and kept smiling as he explained with a wave of his hand, "It would appear that Siberian has a truly amazing natural ability to overcome injury which is at least partially to thank for this small miracle. [1] As to the possible side-effects, Bombay, according to our extensive databases regarding this drug, if he hasn't shown any of those symptoms by now he will most likely not experience any of them later either. They are all exclusively initial onset issues and since he has remained unaffected after 48 hours he should be out of the woods for *all* of them!"

"This is *great*!" The youngest member of Weiss shouted gleefully. Throwing aside his other worries, Omi rushed to embrace the large man and after hugging the doctor, he turned and gave Ken a look that said he wanted to do the same to him. 

With an indulgent smirk, Yohji released his hold on the younger of his two lovers' hand and with an elegant gesture invited their young friend to share the next best thing to a hug wordlessly. 

Accepting with a genki smile and a nod, Omi moved to wrap both hands around Ken's free hand and clasped it warmly, exclaiming, "I'm so happy for you, Ken-kun! We were all so terribly worried about that!" He fought the desire to tear up since the level of joy was so high inside him and he added with a tiny sniffle, "Nagi's going to be so thrilled to hear about this, too! I can't *wait* to tell him about it!"

Knowing it would've been cruel as well as unnecessary to point out that there was no way to know how long it might be before that could happen, the nineteen year old merely smiled tiredly at his dear friend and said, "Thanks a bunch, Omi. I'm really glad to hear it, too, but in all honesty, I wasn't terribly worried about it myself."

Dashing the lone salty teardrop that had found its way into long eyelashes away, the younger of the two blondes in the room asked, "Oh? Why not, Ken-kun?"

Despite his growing sleepiness caused by powerful painkillers that were doing an excellent job of giving him relief after the rigors of the exam he'd received, the claw-wielding assassin answered with a tiny shrug, "Because like I said when they first told me about all this stuff, I figure that I'm still alive for a reason. And since I'm not exactly the brains of this outfit, it seems reasonable to assume that I'm needed hale and hearty for something or other in the future." With a tired yet adoring smirk aimed at his two lovers he added, "Besides, Aya and Yohji here wouldn't want it any other way. So like it or not, these injuries had to heal or face the combined wrath of Abyssinian and Balinese, ya know?"

Playing along, the tallest member of Weiss made the best "intimidating face ala the WWF" he could come up with and Aya simply shook his head making the lone golden earring he wore dance in a stray beam of sunlight from the window even as he hid a smile of his own.

Omi giggled slightly and settled for just holding Ken's hand a moment longer as something serious occurred to him and he asked, "Norwegian? You didn't say anything yet about the kidney damage." With an undeniably pleading expression on his face, he asked, "Is it getting better, too?"

The air of celebration in the room cooled as the doctor's previously beaming smile faded back to the usual merely reassuring one and he shook his head slowly and admitted, "Sadly, not yet, Bombay." As each of the four reacted to this he explained further, "You see, the renal system is very complex and has an intricate array of blood vessels, fluid carrying tubules, and muscles that all must interweave correctly for a kidney to function properly. The injury was a severe one and even though Siberian's amazing healing ability has served him in good stead so far, it is simply too soon to expect to see any improvement there." 

"Oh, I see," the cerulean-eyed youth's expression fell and if it wasn't for the gentle pressure exerted by strong fingers wrapped in his own, he might've allowed himself a greater decline in attitude than he did. Glancing at his friend whose face had almost healed entirely from the tiny katana nicks it had borne previously, Omi asked, "Um, Ken-kun? Are you not worried about *that* injury either?" 

The young blonde's mind flashed back to the solemn and forlorn expression he'd seen on his boyfriend's face when Nagi had recounted the sorrowful tale of his friend from school who died because he'd been denied a kidney transplant. Knowing that was a fate that might still await the chocolate-eyed teen he cared about so much disturbed him greatly yet those around him seemed quietly determined about the situation and not as panicky as he himself felt.

With a confident nod and a barely suppressed yawn, the brunette answered, "That's right, Omi. I'm not going to worry about it unless there's been an indication that it's failed entirely and needs to be cut out of me." Realizing the importance of his own statement, he blinked in surprise then asked with a frown, "Um, there's nothing like *that* showing up, is there, doctor?"

Norwegian rushed to put their minds to rest, saying, "Absolutely not, Siberian! What minimal function was there following the initial surgery remains unchanged but rest assured that if we see a marked change in your condition we'll inform you immediately." He didn't feel it was necessary to elaborate on the fact that if they suspected any form of necrosis was occurring inside Ken's abdomen it would be cause for emergency surgery anyway.

Satisfied, the recovering patient nodded, yawned tiredly, and said with a small sigh, "Well, that's good enough for me, I guess. But before I go to la-la-land, what can you tell us about Yohji, Norwegian?" Despite looking as if slumber was pulling him away already, the brunette forced his eyes back open long enough to add, "Oh, and wasn't there some news on the samples from Sokoke's body you were going to tell us about? That's still bugging everybody, I think."

Knowing all eyes in the room were focused on him alone, the Kritiker physician took a deep breath and let a sad sigh escape him as he shook his head again, a gesture those around him were beginning to equate with more bad news they didn't really want to hear. Sorting through his impressions of the wire-wielding assassin's symptoms, he answered, "Frankly, I didn't find anything in my preliminary exam that could easily explain Balinese's exceptionally severe headaches. I was able to rule out migraines, cluster headaches, and several other fairly common yet debilitating neurological conditions, but not much past that. I hope that the blood tests will tell us more, but even they are only of limited value in certain cases."

Each of the members of Weiss took this information in and considered it silently, filing it away for further study later as they awaited news of their recently departed friend.

"Ah, poor, dear Sokoke," the physician paused and sighed deeply. He continued to mourn the inexplicable death of the vibrant young woman and even though he was absolutely certain that she hadn't committed suicide he had no evidence yet to support his beliefs and said so, "Well, I'm afraid that it's far too early to tell. My people in Yokohama have only had the samples for a little over 18 hours now, but they have been able to rule out anything obvious like the most common street drugs, alcohol, carbon monoxide, and a few other typical causes of accidents like this. I'll grant you, if they *had* detected either drugs or alcohol in her system, I might have assumed they were not consumed knowingly on her part based on my knowledge of her and her Kritiker personnel and medical records. However, we can't determine her location prior to the accident at this point and for all we know she might have indeed left Tokyo General in search of such unanticipated diversions." 

Holding a hand up to fend off the angry denials of impropriety that he knew would come from the young men around him who had become fond of the honey-blond secretary in a short amount of time, he explained further, "Next, the scientists will begin a more systematic approach to look for other clues. This will be a slow, time-consuming process and since we are doing this without authorization, any valid assignments from Persia or within KMC that they receive will cause the research to be put on 'hold'. But since we are the only ones actively seeking the truth so that dear girl's spirit can rest easy, we will continue searching for as long as we can think of new things to look for."

Aya glared icily in response to not only the lack of progress but also to the mention of the man that they had all followed unquestioningly until this recent incident which was followed by the leader of Kritiker behaving quite strangely as far as he was concerned. Practically tossing amethyst daggers at Norwegian, he growled, "Then there better be a nice long list of things to look for, doctor! Sokoke *didn't* kill herself and when we know who is truly to blame for this, there will be vengeance to be dispensed. My katana will drink of the blood of whatever bastard is to blame for ending her life!"

The vehemence in the scarlet-haired man's voice was a little frightening even to those who knew him well, yet it said more about how he felt about the man responsible for his own sister's medical condition possibly than it did about the young woman who had died two days previously. The image of Reiji Takatori sprang to mind whenever Aya thought of Sokoke's death having involved her car in the middle of the afternoon only a few days prior since it seemed similar to the incident of several years past. The two lovely young women cut down in the prime of life in "accidents" that weren't mere chance were simply too much alike. There was no connection between the two crimes, of course, but this was the way the Weiss swordsman's mind worked at times and the unfulfilled craving for justice burned within him always.

Another matter that went unmentioned since Norwegian incorrectly assumed it had nothing to do with this, was the corpse in the Kritiker Medical Center's morgue awaiting autopsy. That particular lost soul had neither family nor friends outside the organization and hence no one required the return of his remains, so there was plenty of time to deal with the research it might take to discover anything concrete about his death, too.

Before much more heated discussion could arise about the cause of Sokoke's death and how they intended to find answers, the brunette yawned loudly, then apologized and said he just couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. 

Norwegian bid Ken rest and recommended that anyone who wanted to stay with him do so but without conversation so as not to interfere with his getting the restful sleep he obviously needed after the rigorous exam. This was readily agreed to and after the portly physician left to return to his base of operations with the newly collected blood samples, a group of solemn young men remained quietly gathered on the sixth floor of Tokyo General.

Each contemplated the information they'd been given and soon discovered it wasn't as reassuring as it had seemed at first. 

Despite the overwhelmingly positive nature of what had been shared regarding not only the experimental nerve regeneration drug but also so much else that indicated Ken was on his way to an excellent recovery, the three present who weren't asleep found their thoughts dark with worry all the same. As long as the specter of a possible need for a kidney transplant for the recovering man loomed before them, there would continue to be an understandable level of fear that they would bear as a group. 

Further, their instincts told them all that there was something undeniably wrong with the contention that Sokoke's death was either a true accident or a case of "auto-cide". She'd had so much to live for and no apparent history of mental illness, a sudden suicidal impulse was simply unbelievable as well as unacceptable to the men of Weiss. They hadn't known her for long, but as so often happens when people are thrown together during a crisis, a powerful bond had formed linking her to them and the four florist/assassins would not allow her death to be forgotten or dismissed as unimportant.

Last, despite not having been mentioned directly, Yohji found his thoughts tracking to the memory of a mahogany-skinned woman's face. The mystery of Korat's sister's unexplained disappearance held greater meaning for the men of Weiss than they could possibly imagine on that November afternoon. Sadly, when the truth was known about her fate months later, the ramifications of that knowledge would eclipse the facts behind Sokoke's tragic passing the way a supernova outshines a candle on a child's birthday cake. 

The scales of justice had been badly unbalanced yet the culprit was far from finished and his ultimate punishment would go undelivered until well after he destroyed a precious part of the soul of a certain midnight blue-eyed teen as well.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Please allow me to mention where I came up with the idea that Ken must recover very quickly from his injuries since it *is* based on the series and not my imagination. 

{note: tiny spoiler warning for "Mission 4: Verrat", which is German for "Betrayal"}

In episode 4, Ken is shot several times and even though he's wearing a bullet-proof vest, it's clear that he's hurt fairly badly yet he returns to seek vengeance against the man who hurt him almost immediately without showing signs of being incapacitated. Based on real world cases of police officers who've suffered similar attacks, broken or badly bruised ribs would've been the most probable injuries he would've suffered. If he received even a fraction of that level of injury, I assume it would take a surprisingly quick response on his body's part to overcome it enough to be leaping around the way he does near the end of the episode. I've often wondered about the bullet to the shoulder he also received that ought to have left him in severe pain, but who am I to question the esteemed writers of the show that inspires Melpomene, Erato, and Calliope so well?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 52 & 53 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run is dedicated to the many wonderful people who have left me an amazing and inspiring *378* reviews for this humble work at fanfiction.net! 

{blows the Horn of Friendship loudly and proudly!! 'tis a joyful noise to be certain even if it *is* a tad out of tune after being unused for awhile!!}

These folks are the best and if it weren't for them, the temptation to just work on this off-and-on since Erato *really* wants to wake up again and write the (Yohji x Ken x Aya) threeway lemon side-story we've promised to Priscilla, e.e, and others might have been overwhelming! However, since I've gained some new reviewers there who quite sweetly asked me to post more how could I refuse?

{laughs quietly since even a comment like "Damn you! Finish the fuckin' thing!" is accepted as a compliment at the Casa de Llama and is given proper respect regardless of its apparent tone}

As for my new friends, well, this is a dangerous thing to do since I'm always dreadfully afraid that I'll miss someone, but if you take a glance at the most recent pages of reviews, you're sure to notice one of my coolest new pals, Midori Natari Himura! Man oh man, talk about knowing the way to a guy's heart! Midori's a new reader but that isn't stopping her from leaving me notes on each Part as she reads it and believe it or not, those comments have had a huge impact not only on my feelings of excitement for getting more written but also for the fic itself. There were a few details from way back at the beginning I'd almost forgotten to tie together and after reading what she wrote there, I was able to address them in these last few Parts! 

{feels lucky in so many ways and then mentions more new friends}

Some other new names that have appeared recently include Raven Wings who must enjoy this a lot to sit and read the entire fic in a couple marathon sessions and I'm *thrilled* to see what s/he thought about it all! Another marathoner is Zilent1 who can feel free to be as "sucky-upish" as they want to since their words made me smile and smile and smile! The mere fact that they spent that long *reading* it tells me they're finding something of interest here and I'm glad for the review! Bukimi has dropped in lately and left some cute, short comments. Now that it's back underway, I wonder if s/he will find it to their liking? As for the oddly worded encouragement quoted above, that's from Black Dragon and if I'm wrong in assuming this person meant that tongue in cheek, I'm probably better off not knowing it, ne? Last but not least, my most recent new arrival is Azuriana who is marvelously polite and I hope s/he will enjoy the new material.

{hums a song about new friends being silver whereas old ones are gold that his niece sang him from her Girl Scouts "Campfire Songs" booklet awhile back}

Other than the newbies, I've also regained my temporarily-absent-due-to-school reviewer e.e who blew me away with her comments on the Parts that had to be patient while her term paper demons were exorcised and I'm thrilled to see her! There were bright shiny notes recently from my good buddy Mr. Peabody, my esteemed-friends-with-one-syllable-names Cat and Beth, cutely-Schwarz-loving Aeris Tsukiyono, the multi-named yet never copied Shadow Catcher, and darling bearilou (who is getting a lemony giftfic from me this summer!) and a few other old friends who I hope forgive me if I missed them since llamas are notoriously forgetful critters! Um, by the way, I haven't heard from Priscilla lately, but I'm guessing things got hectic at work or home or wherever and hope that she's doing okay. I sent her a note and never heard back, so if anyone out there is in touch with her, please tell her I hope all is well and look forward to hearing from her when life gets better, okay? 

{yawns since it's late and there's a content smile of accomplishment on his face for getting this out tonight when he didn't think he could, then he tries to wrap things up and go get some sleep for a change}

Well, team, that's it for tonight! 

Major news for the Weiss boys from Norwegian about Siberian's progress and major news for the readers from the Llama that the rough draft is done, too! I can't begin to guess who will be happier, I'll let the reviews at fanfiction.net be my guide to that and will happily look forward to being back tomorrow with more. 

Before I vanish, though, one quick note to those of you reading this at the various MLs receiving the fic directly: I'm ever so sorry, but I'm on WEB-only at all of them and won't see comments left for me "on-list" for quite awhile. Feel free to send a note to my direct email address if you wish to encourage my muses with happy thoughts or better yet drop a comment at fanfiction.net! I check my reviews there religiously and am sure to see it, glomp it, read it, love it, and keep it close to my heart forever! 

Thanks again, one and all! It feels *really* good to finally be back!

Ja ne!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who truly loves to acknowledge his reviewers and those who send him notes that make him smile but is also afraid of accidentally assuming gender references in his mentions of those wonderful folks! please excuse him if he uses weird non-standard stuff like "s/he" to avoid making assumptions since he's just trying to be friendly and doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, okay? oh, and if he assumed you were female and you're not, um, shout at the llama privately, please. it's not nice to let the yaoi-loving ladies see a couple of yaoi-loving guys arguing in "public", no da!)

Posted 22 April 2002, ~3:00am


	54. Angst-Laden Reflections

Greetings! Welcome to Angst Theatre's presentation of "Cold November Rain"!

After a long drought, Melpomene is pleased to require a Kleenex warning be added to tonight's intro-note since she got really carried away with some *serious* emotional bishounen torture in Part 54. In fact, a couple of sections of that were too much to even let Lauren-the-underaged-Warnings-Muse read since the imagery in them almost skyrocketed past the "R" rating and threatened to dally in the "NC-17" zone instead. So, now that you've been given a chance to arm yourself with tissues if you think you might need them, allow me to get things started for you quickly.

{puts on the stylish tux and lights the marquee quickly wanting to let you get to the angst right away and then reads the playbill for you}

Tonight's performance opens with Part 54 as a cold night finds three souls lost in their own terrifying, angst-laden reflections which simply proves that even when surrounded by those you love, you can still be terribly, terribly lonely. Things improve in Part 55, however, as life slowly begins to return to normal for the men of Weiss as one of them says good-bye to the others and goes home.

{smiles since the Kleenex warning truly applies only to the first half of the show and everything else ought to be okay, but either way please allow him to encourage you to---}

Enjoy the Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who feels rather astounded that this is the 27th posting run for this fic, a huge number that does *not* include posting intermission notices or email at the MLs or anything else! wow, what a lot of stuff to write, edit, and share, ne?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 54/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 6. time: 0215-0530 hours. ++ 

***** 

The remainder of the fifth day of the crisis that began with Ken being viciously gunned down in some forgotten building in Tokyo was spent fairly quietly by the members of Weiss and those around them as good news mixed with bad swirled through their heads.

Despite having a fairly lengthy rest that had lasted well into the afternoon, the claw-wielding assassin never quite recaptured the energy he'd enjoyed earlier on so his teammates had called it a night around 11pm and had gone back to the Hilton to relax. Once there, Yohji had sought solitude and spent an hour or so alone on the balcony smoking cigarettes at random intervals and trying not to think too much. For reasons he didn't wish to share with anyone, Aya, too, had wanted some time alone and commandeered the bathroom for a lengthy soak in too-hot water. Alone and lonely without his boyfriend at his side, Omi had made a nest of blankets on the couch and turned the television to a random station before sitting and staring at it unseeing until he slipped into an uneasy slumber. 

Time passed unnoticed and soon temple bells far across the city rang out the melodic announcement that it was two in the morning. 

Earlier, after deciding it was probably less stressful for their young teammate to sleep alone on the couch than it would be to awaken by himself in the large bed he'd shared with Nagi, the two eldest members of Weiss had left Omi where he was and went to bed. Now, however, the cerulean-eyed blond found himself wide-awake and profoundly lonely as he puttered as soundlessly as possible in the spacious luxury suite. 

Wearing his favorite winter nightwear of a long-sleeved flannel pajama shirt with matching pants, Omi would've garnered a fond compliment from his boyfriend for looking decidedly "snugglable" to the diminutive telekinetic. But without Nagi there to say anything, the miserable seventeen year old paid little or no attention to what he wore since he didn't think it mattered anyway.

The unhappy teen re-read the thick manga Yohji had given him for the fifth time and stopped as he came to the pages where his boyfriend's treasured Peruvian iris was currently pressed and drying so as to preserve its beauty for months or years to come. An atypically sad smile crossed youthful features and as he carefully moved the blossom to another portion of the thick magazine so it could be exposed to drier paper, he sighed deeply. The color of the soft-as-velvet petals was an almost perfect match for his beloved's eyes and with another even deeper sigh, one that echoed the worry and fear in his heart, he slipped it back into the thick volume and set it aside.

"You miss him a lot, don't you?" A quiet, concerned voice asked unexpectedly.

Startled, Omi jumped slightly and turned his head quickly to gasp in surprise, "*Yohji-kun*! What are *you* doing out of bed?" glancing around and realizing they were indeed quite alone at that point, he added in curiosity, "But where is Aya-kun? Isn't he with you?"

Shaking his head sadly, the elder blond walked past his friend and stood in front of the glass door that lead outside, a place he almost wished he could be instead of where he was. Hands buried in the pockets of the lush terrycloth robe which was his only apparel other than the too-thin pair of old sweatpants he occasionally wore to bed, he remarked with a negligent shrug as if it truly didn't matter even though it did, "He's asleep, Omiitchi." Turning curious green eyes to the boy beside him, he asked, "But what are *you* doing up, bishounen? Shouldn't you be getting some rest after such a long, trying day?"

Glancing down at his feet and suddenly realizing they were cold without socks or slippers on them, Omi mimicked his friend's body language and shrugged, too, before saying, "I couldn't sleep, Yohji-kun. I woke up about an hour ago and all I could think of was Nagi and wondering if he's all right or not." He placed the fingertips of one hand against the glass door and rested them there, letting the chill of the night seep into him even as a melancholy song from an animated American movie echoed in his mind. [1] 

Fighting the desire to state that if he truly thought for one moment that Nagi might actually be in any form of immediate danger, he'd jump in his roadster and go after the boy with little or no time allowed for discussion, Yohji answered with dubious certainty, "I'm sure he's okay. After all, Omiitchi, his telekinesis saved *you* after you'd fallen off of a bridge. What could people who supposedly care for him do that might be more powerful than *that*?" 

Yohji winced mentally as his own guilty conscience conjured up a witch's brew of horrific images that ran the gamut from things involving Crawford's cold glare and biting remarks which he himself had been the target of during missions all the way to Schuldich's presumed ability to "mind-rape" the boy. Yet, as long as he had declared his intention to allow the two teens to determine their own destiny in their own way, the jade-eyed man would do his level best to hold his tongue and not add ideas that they might not be ready for.

With a quiet sigh, the younger blond allowed his head to gently fall forward until he was leaning his forehead against the cool glass. As he let the chill of the door enter him more deeply, Omi responded with open fear and concern, "I have no idea, Yohji-kun." Letting agonized blue eyes sink shut, he remained where he was as he revealed his greatest fears, "I'm always afraid that someday they will find out about him and me and they'll get so mad, they might do almost anything to either or both of us. Not that I really care what they might try to do to me, I assume I'll die in battle anyway and if it's at their hands, would that really be a big surprise to anyone? I doubt it. No, I'm afraid for my Nagi."

Tear-dampened lashes fluttered apart as he tried not to see the nightmarish images he'd carried shamefully unspoken for months as he explained, "I know that he says he loves them like brothers and that they care about him, too, but after what he said yesterday, how can that be *true*?! They don't give him enough to eat, they make him go out and kill people and say it's his job, and then he felt certain that they hadn't left him alone with us because they trusted him but he didn't have a better reason. I mean," his head rose sharply and the tears were now coursing down his cheeks unfettered and he turned pleadingly toward his teammate and he begged, "How can *anyone* who says they love someone make them so miserable, Yohji-kun?! How can they *do* that to him and yet he still remains loyal and goes back to them?! It's just not right! It's just not *right*!!" 

The elder man had listened in growing horror and sadness as his young friend became more agitated and possibly irrational. As it became obvious there really weren't a lot of answers for either of them short of meeting some of the other members of Schwarz somewhere other than the battlefield and getting to know them personally, these were mysteries that Nagi alone held the key to. 

Wrapping both arms around the weeping boy and pulling him close, Yohji soothed him with calming sounds and gentle warm caresses to the back of his head, a combination that had worked wonders through the years they had known one another.

Sobbing freely for a few minutes, Omi allowed himself to purge many unspoken fears as well, ones of a much darker nature that hinted at answers he couldn't face. 

One recurring nightmare question was if Schuldich was the "Master Mind" his codename implied, could he actually force Nagi to do something even more horrible than assassinations and then erase the memory of the crime so thoroughly that no one would ever even know about it? If this was the case, then the gods alone knew what horrors his boyfriend might have been forced to commit without his knowledge and he doubted Nagi's world-weary young soul could forgive himself for that as well as some of the baser crimes he'd committed as a Tokyo street child. Omi knew some of the tortured history of his beloved's life before Schwarz yet mysteries remained that neither knew the answers to with certainty. 

A concern of a similar caliber was a more prosaic one that revolved around what would happen if Farfarello decided to take his well loved knives and leave the alabaster skin Omi loved covered in fresh lines of crimson that never had a chance to even leave a scar? The Irishman was an expert bladesman when he was in control of his faculties, yet on the occasions that the amber-eyed man lived up to his codename and was a true "Berserker" it was entirely possible to envision him killing Nagi without hesitation. 

As for Crawford, there were many worries that could be given voice yet the cerulean-eyed teen's greatest fear was what might happen if the precog envisioned an opportunity to catch the young telekinetic when he was helpless and possibly force his attentions on him sexually? There was no reason a priori to assume that the twenty-seven year old leader of Schwarz might have intimate desires for the too-thin body of the one Omi loved, yet the man codenamed "Oracle" was the ultimate unknown for the Weiss archer. Anyone who could see the future and then change it through his actions was dangerous beyond words and the young blond simply didn't know the American well enough to realize that there was nothing sexual in the raven-haired man's thoughts pertaining to his youngest teammate. Bradley Crawford might have a few truly distasteful qualities attributed to him rightly or wrongly, but being a rapist wasn't one of them. Unfortunately, Omi had no way of knowing that and he feared for his lover's safety knowing that such a gross violation of his trust might well cost Nagi part of his sanity. 

Right now, though, there wasn't room for any of these terrifying deeply held fears in Omi's head, he was simply afraid that Nagi had been refused by his "family" and might be somewhere lost in the city of Tokyo feeling abandoned, forgotten, and unloved. 

Dragging a deep snuffling sniffle of breath in and trying to push back the useless tears, Omi wiped at his eyes as he cuddled close to the reassuring warmth of his eldest teammate and whimpered softly, "Th-th-thank you, Yohji-kun."

Titling his head to the side so that he could peer down at the miserable boy in his arms even as he fervently hoped his expression held none of the anger and uncertainty he himself was feeling at the time, the jade-eyed man asked, "For what, bishounen? I haven't done anything, so why are you thanking me?"

Sniffling bravely yet not releasing his firm grip on his friend, the teen answered unsteadily, "For not saying anything just now." Pulling one last sniffle deep into himself, Omi tried to straighten and pull away as he explained, "I didn't really need any answers to all that. I know that I can trust Nagi-love to do what's best, but sometimes it gets to be too much for me, you know?" Peering up through tear-soaked eyelashes, slightly reddened sky blue orbs begged for unconditional reassurance that may or may not have been based on reality.

Choosing to comfort above all other things, Yohji smiled warmly at his distraught friend and ran his fingers through Omi's hair to straighten it after he had unintentionally mussed it as he offered, "I know what you mean, bishounen." With a deep sigh and a sad glance back to the closed door that separated him from a certain scarlet-haired man who had left him feeling confused that evening, he commented, "Sometimes it's hard for our minds to trust those we love as much as our hearts want to. There're always mysteries and things left unsaid that bring in the doubt that we feel guilty for feeling, isn't there?"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too," Omi agreed tiredly and leaned back into the older assassin's embrace for only a moment longer before pulling back and asking shyly, "Um, Yohji-kun? Would you like to play Yahtzee with me or maybe watch TV? I really don't want to go to bed all alone and everything." 

Understanding what the boy needed probably better than he himself did, the older blond nodded his head and agreed easily, "Sure thing, Omiitchi. Why don't you make us some hot chocolate or something while I go catch a smoke and then we can see if there's any of those old Godzilla movies on that you like so much, okay?"

Omi was going to complain about his friend's recent renewed reliance on tobacco but the idea of sipping cocoa and watching a cheesy model of Tokyo being crushed under the foot of a man in a silly green dinosaur costume with a zipper in the back drove the thought away. With a hint of a genki smile and a yawn, the shorter blond looked up at the taller one and said, "That'd be great, Yohji-kun. Thanks!" 

"Not a problem, kiddo," the jade-eyed man smiled as he watched his friend rush off to the small kitchen area to happily set the tea kettle on to boil. Now that he knew he was no longer under scrutiny, Yohji released a deep, melancholy sigh of his own and slipped out onto the balcony. 

After sliding the glass door shut behind him, he placed a cigarette between his lips, leaned into the small flame of his lighter, and gratefully inhaled a deep lungful of nicotine-laden smoke enjoying the almost painful burn as the acrid gas passed down his throat. Releasing the grayish vapor into the clear night sky thoughtfully, Yohji wondered about what was really going on between himself and the scarlet-haired man whom he had left comfortably resting in their bed.

The fact that Aya had finally verbally confirmed his feelings for their brunette partner had made the jade-eyed man more than pleased at the time. He vaguely recalled crying tears of joy when it happened, yet since a similar pronouncement had not been made regarding himself, Yohji couldn't help but start to wonder what he truly was to the elder of his two lovers after all. Was he merely a warm body in the violet-eyed man's bed there to soothe the needs of the libido but not those of the soul? Was he merely someone whose admittedly well-built and experienced body could bring the screams of passion to those thin yet sensual lips? 

Knowing that he himself truly loved and admired the scarlet-haired man whom he deferred to on the battlefield had made it somewhat easier during the last day or so, but now it was preying on his mind to know the truth. Sadly, a fear that the answer would be that he himself was nothing more than a so-called "fuck buddy" to the man who had kissed him so savagely in celebration barely 48 hours previously kept him from going back to Aya's side and asking him pointblank how he felt.

All these deep and rather dark thoughts swirled through Yohji's troubled mind and he finished his first cigarette in record time, desperate for the relief the intrinsic drug in the tobacco could bring him and not getting it fast enough. The jade-eyed man stood in the chilly darkness and forced himself to accept that as long as Aya had proclaimed himself to Ken and the two of them seemed so happy, he ought to drop the subject instead of acting like a spoiled child. After all, who wanted a discontent, sulking man hanging around them whimpering and asking whether he is loved or not? 

Having lit a second cigarette from the still glowing yet spent butt of the first one, the blond man took a few deep inhalations of nicotine and quietly prayed it would hit his system quickly. Unable to shake the feeling that there were key things that had gone unspoken by Norwegian and possibly others beyond Aya that would someday effect him drastically, he felt like a pawn in the hands of fate. This simple realization left Yohji feeling incapable and less of a man than he preferred to think of himself as and with a deep sigh, he tried to finish of his cigarette before Omi came to tell him the cocoa was ready.

Disconsolately adding the second butt to the receptacle the hotel staff had left rather prominently displayed for that purpose, he looked down with lifeless green eyes at bare feet gone numb from standing in the cold. Trying to remind himself to show only good cheer and none of his sorrow in front of his youngest teammate, he glued an artificially relaxed smile onto his face and went back inside.

Unaware of the emotional torture his friend had just put himself through, Omi greeted him sweetly and mentioned there were plenty of tiny marshmallows in Yohji's mug of cocoa since he thought the former detective enjoyed it that way. Then the tired teenager went to retrieve a blanket for them both to sit under in anticipation of watching a 1960's Godzilla gleefully wrecking untold damage on a miniaturize faux-Tokyo. 

While the cerulean-eyed youth was far enough away not to see the expression, the elder of the two frowned unhappily at his cup. Yohji hated marshmallows but he didn't have the heart to tell Omi that.

Eventually, the two sat together in peace and before the "monster d' jour" arrived for his ceremonial trouncing by the giant reptile, Omi was fast asleep curled against Yohji's side like the cat whose name he bore when in battle. 

Without thinking about it, Yohji allowed his fingers to tangle gently in soft blond hair and his unwitting actions helped his friend to slip into a deeper, more restful slumber. Time slipped away as it always does and by the time the temple bells pealed the call of 4am, he, too, was asleep and the television simply played on and on as background music for the two emotionally-strained dreamers.

*****

Meanwhile, in the bedroom with the largest bed in the entire luxurious suite, Aya had awakened to discover that he was alone and rather lonely without either of his two partners at his side.

Not particularly alert at first, the swordsman had rolled over, and intended to go right back to sleep yet it was already too late for that. The flickering light of an emergency medical airlift helicopter at the nearby helipad atop the hospital caught his eye and without meaning to, Aya found himself wide awake and worried about those he loved. 

There was no way for Aya to identify the precise moment that he became hyperaware of the life-and-death struggles that occurred in a normal bustling medical community such as Tokyo General Hospital, but with Ken's kidney injury remaining unimproved, he paid more attention to it now. Despite automatically reciting the traditional prayer for health for the victims of a disastrous apartment building fire that he did not know who were being offloaded to stretchers in a terrible hurry, in his mind he hoped that they might all be registered organ donors. 

After all, if Ken needed a new kidney then there were many others who did as well and he hoped that perhaps some good might come from the bad if this was the case and the burn victims were too far gone anyway. 

Forcing that macabre thought from his mind, Aya rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling for a moment and pondered whether or not this would be a good time to talk to Yohji about his true feelings. Despite knowing that he did indeed love the wire-wielding assassin with as much strength of conviction as he felt for Ken, the violet-eyed man continued to be oddly incapable of saying so. There was no logical reason for the block and therefore no rational approach to overcome it, yet in the early morning darkness, Aya was closer to being able to say the words than he had ever been.

Glancing at the clock and seeing that it was almost five in the morning, an unhappy frown crossed elegant pale features and Aya realized that the only thing that would've kept Yohji from returning to bed without requiring a return to the hospital was their youngest teammate. He correctly assumed that if Omi needed him, the elder blond would remain by his side but it meant that the scarlet-haired man had enough time to change his mind about discussing his inner feelings with his partner.

With a tired sigh, Aya foolishly chose to wait until later to talk to Yohji convincing himself that this was neither the time nor the place for him to pledge his heart aloud. Thinking that it would be better to speak of the matter when the third member of their ménage à trois could be party to the conversation, the violet-eyed man rolled over and tried to force himself to go back to sleep unsuccessfully. 

If Ken had been aware that the younger of his two lovers was withholding a verbal avowal of love from the elder one, he would not have been pleased regardless of the reason. As practical and grounded as he was, the brunette knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they each needed to hear the words to be absolutely sure of their place in each others' hearts and souls. 

Aya thought that perhaps when their vow of abstinence was no longer needed, he'd find it easier to say what he felt and the mental image of the three of them wrapped intimately around one another caused an all too familiar ache to build in his body. Knowing he wasn't going to act on the impulse to seek relief, he buried his face in his partner's pillow allowing the lingering light scent that was distinctly Yohji's to ease his mind into silence and he found slumber beckoning him back to itself before long. 

The field-leader of Weiss was far from wise when it came to matters of the heart, obviously. His failure to speak what was in his heart when it was most needed would come to have disastrous consequences for himself and both of the men he loved in the months to come, something he would've avoided had he known. 

Sadly, fate is cruel and it occasionally had an insidious way of turning what should have been the kindest of intentions into the cruelest of outcomes and it would take a blood sacrifice to set right what was now wrong. The greater pity was that it would not be Aya himself who would have to pay the price for his silence but only time would reveal which of the people that he loved would suffer so that he could be redeemed.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] The song I had in mind at this point is one whose title I'm not certain of but I believe it is "Somewhere Out There" from "An American Tale." While this Don Bluth film may not be a classic in most other regards, that one haunting melody along with its sad, sweet lyrics of two young souls separated by fate has stayed with me years after I last sat and held a sick child through a dark, miserable night.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 54 & 55 will be posted together. 


	55. The Slow Return to Normalcy Begins

Title: Cold November Rain [part 55/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 6. time: 1030-1350 hours. ++ 

***** 

Late morning found the four florist/assassins gathered as usual in Room 646 of Tokyo General quietly discussing inconsequential issues and studiously avoiding the serious subjects which had haunted some of them individually during the early morning hours. The only one of them who hadn't been disturbed by horrifying unspoken fears was Ken who had slept soundly thanks to medication and simple exhaustion. 

Despite the care and highly skilled expertise of the people who performed it, the extensive examination the recovering patient had received the previous day had left him sore and quite tired. During the afternoon Norwegian had returned and with the aid of a respiration specialist, the uncomfortable and disconcerting chest tubes had been removed in what could only be described as a minor surgical procedure which added demonstrably to the drain on Ken's energy reserves. Regardless of the reason slumber hadn't eluded him, however, he was much better off to have been left untouched by the nearly debilitating sorrows his teammates had endured and as a result he was more balanced and relaxed now than they were.

Several times after Aya, Yohji, and Omi had arrived, the room had fallen uncharacteristically silent and the heavy cloak of depression threatened to descend and wrap itself around several of those therein. What the members of Weiss needed was a distraction and luckily it arrived in the person of a woman who had been absent lately.

After several days spent fruitlessly pursuing the truth about Sokoke's death, Manx had taken the time to come by the hospital and when she arrived one of the biggest changes in Ken's condition was immediately apparent. Standing in the doorway with a small smile of approval at the absence of the chest tubes and their accompanying noisy suction device, she asked, "How are you feeling, Ken? Any better now that you're free of at least a little of your hardware?"

"Oh, hey, Manx!" Ken smiled at the redhead from where he was comfortably propped up against the headboard of his bed, glad to be fully upright for the first time in almost a week. With a rueful glance at the heavy cast on his left arm and the bulky bandages on his right thigh, he remarked, "Well, it's an improvement, that's for sure. Now if only they'd let me get out of bed to use the toilet or at least cruise the ward in a wheelchair, I'd feel almost human again."

Nodding in understanding, the high-ranking Kritiker agent replied, "All in good time, Siberian, all in good time." She didn't mention that as long as his sole remaining kidney failed to function properly he would be enslaved by the Foley tubes and dialysis that was replacing his body's normal need for eliminating wastes anyway. 

Taking a moment to glance at the other three young men in the room, the youngest of whom was being atypically quiet, she pondered yet again the private report she'd received from Norwegian regarding Nagi. Despite Persia's acceptance of the Schwarz telekinetic as being more than a friend to Omi, neither Manx nor the head physician from Kritiker Medical Center felt they could trust him fully with knowing about the boy's possibly serious medical problems. Between the bearded man's odd handling of Sokoke's death and several other incidents which had gone undisclosed to the four men around her, the blue-green-eyed woman had chosen to err on the side of caution until more answers were available about her boss.

Norwegian's words for her alone warned of potentially disastrous hidden health problems for the diminutive telekinetic who had become so important to all of the members of Weiss in the past few days. The portly physician had recommended that efforts be made to surreptitiously increase the monitoring of Schwarz's activities focusing on such simple things as obtaining reconnaissance photos of the midnight-eyed boy on a regular basis if nothing else. He had also echoed the previous suggestion that after things settled down regarding Siberian's health crisis the Weiss hacker-extraordinaire ought to carefully begin probing Estet's computer records in search of any pertinent information that might assist them from a distance. There was precious little any of the Kritiker operatives could do directly without potentially endangering Nagi based on his own reporting of his home life, but now that he was being brought into their hearts so fully none of them could forget his needs. 

With a sigh as she realized that there was nothing she could do about Nagi right at the moment, Manx decided to try to aid the absent fifteen year old's boyfriend and she asked, "Omi? You seem preoccupied. Is something wrong that I ought to know about?"

Cerulean eyes rose from where they had been contemplating a wilted Peruvian iris that the young archer had found laying on the windowsill after a careless hospital volunteer disturbed the floral arrangement while straightening up the room the night before and gazed at her for a moment. 

With a soft sigh of unhappiness since Omi feared the flower's fate held an ominous warning that it actually didn't, he answered truthfully, "I'm worried about Nagi, Manx." Glancing at the window which was filled with bright sunlight, he added, "And I've been thinking that I ought to go home soon, too. He's not the only one whose studies are falling behind at this point."

Across the room, the Weiss field-leader shook his head slowly, indicating that he certainly didn't care if the archer's grades dropped while they continued to care for their injured teammate. However, since he understood the teen's feelings and needs, Aya commented quietly, "I'm sure you'll get caught up without trouble, Omi, but come to think of it, Momoe could probably use a hand in the shop." With a gentle yet hidden half-smile, he added encouragingly, "You usually enjoy working with the flowers and creating bouquets. Maybe if you did that for awhile you'd feel better."

In full agreement, Yohji commented thoughtfully, "I'll bet there's a ton of orders waiting to be put together, Omiitchi. And with all the extra flowers that must have been sitting around all week while we weren't there, you can probably go kinda nuts and make some of those really bright ones the fangirls always go for." He chuckled softly when he saw the first hint of a classic genki smile budding on their friend's face for the first time that day and then he commented pointedly, "But we'll get one of the courier services to do the deliveries for a change, all right? I don't think we want you out running all over Tokyo on the shop's scooter when you've got better things to do." 

What the former detective really meant was that he was afraid of what could happen to his young friend if he should have trouble with the three-wheeled vehicle and they weren't home to help him with it. But he didn't want to say so since it made Omi sound incapable, something he certainly was not. It was perfectly natural for the eldest member of the group to feel overprotective of its youngest one at this point, they'd suffered so much lately.

Feeling glad that his teammates knew him so well, Omi finally allowed a full smile to blossom on his face and he agreed wholeheartedly, "Okay, Yohji-kun! I'd have felt a little weird trying to do both that *and* go to school, but without any missions to research or execute for Kritiker, I'll have plenty of time to make arrangements *and* help Momoe-san." Deliberately not mentioning the fact that he'd have far more free time than even this implied if Nagi wasn't able to meet him online to chat like usual, the archer then glanced at the other teen present and asked, "Ken-kun? Is it okay with you if I wasn't here so much? I mean, I'll be glad to put off going home for a few days if you'd rather have me stay."

Ken shook his head and smiled warmly at his friend and answered, "Of course it's fine, Omi. Now that I'm feeling better, we can chat on the phone or something and I have to agree with Yohji and Aya, the Koneko needs at least one of us there to stay in business." With a grateful glance at the colorful arrangement in the window, he added, "Flowers can bring so much happiness. I'd hate to think that a bunch of them are busy dying right now without being enjoyed just because I got a little careless."

No one in the room was foolish enough to pick up on the recovering patient's implication that he alone was to blame for the severe injuries he'd suffered, the guilt and sorrow for that were shared among them all.

Clearing her throat and drawing attention back to herself, Manx commented, "It sounds like you'll need a ride home later, Omi. Want to come with me when I'm on my way back to headquarters?"

"Sure, Manx, that'd be great," the Weiss archer agreed then paused and added, "but I'll need to stop by the Hilton first to get my stuff, okay?"

"Of course," the redhead smiled and was about to remark that she was planning to leave within the hour, but she was interrupted.

"When are you two going to go home, too, Yohji? Aya?" Ken asked glancing at both of them before remarking, "Isn't it about time you guys stopped wasting Persia's money on that hotel suite? It must be costing a small fortune to put you up at a place like that."

Instantly angry, Aya growled coldly, "What difference does *that* make, Ken?" Amethyst eyes blazing with fury aimed at a man he felt he couldn't afford to trust any longer, he explained hotly, "That unreliable bastard damned well *owes* Weiss anything we need right now!"

Not surprisingly, Yohji agreed and despite there being less fire in his words than in those of the elder of his two lovers, he clearly indicated his own displeasure with their leader, saying, "Well, I don't know if I would've put it *that* way, Aya, but you're right. I'd think that pretty much anything we need to see to it that Kenken recovers fully as quickly and happily as possible ought to be ours for the asking. Don't you agree, Manx?"

The stern expression on the woman's face matched theirs and she agreed unconditionally, "Absolutely." Wishing she could put some of their fears about Persia to rest yet being unable to do so honestly, she stated, "As long as you want them nearby or they want to stay there, I'll see to it that Yohji and Aya have a room at the Hilton, Ken. There's no reason to change anything unless everyone's in agreement."

Trying not to let practical matters sway him as they had momentarily, the brunette nodded then smiled with uncharacteristic shyness and admitted, "Well, if that's true, then maybe it *would* be good if they stayed there a few more nights. I'd be kinda lonely being here by myself all the time if they left."

Emerald and amethyst eyes softened as both Yohji and Aya tried to reassure their lover that he wouldn't be left alone regardless. With the scarlet-haired man claiming one suntanned hand in his own pale ones and gently caressing it even as he himself brushed loose brown hair from chocolate eyes, Yohji assured, "Don't worry, Ken-love, we won't let that happen. You're going to be stuck with Aya and me one way or another from now on. So, until Norwegian says you can come home, too, we will probably take turns hanging around here the same way we have been lately." 

"That's right," Aya agreed firmly, then added quietly, "We'll probably plan to go home to help Omi around the shop in a day or so, love, but I'm sure that one of us can be here during the day and the other can visit you in the evenings if you like. That way we're *all* still together, all right?" 

The smile that blossomed slowly and spread across Ken's face seemed to outshine the sun and he accepted the offer after a quick glance at the cerulean-eyed boy who had an equally dazzling expression on his own face, saying, "I'd like that a lot, Aya. Thanks." Looking at each of his teammates in turn, he amended, "Thanks to all of you. For everything. This was a pretty shitty piece of luck, but as long as we hang together it'll turn out fine in the end, I'm sure of it."

"Same here," Omi agreed and unhesitatingly moved to where he, too, could lightly touch his injured friend and he added hopefully, "'All for one and one for all' has always worked for us in the past, ne, Ken-kun?"

"Sure enough, Omi," his friend answered, bright smile unwavering as he felt the love and affection the group shared wash over him, renewing his seemingly endless supply of optimism thanks to the reference to the legendary musketeers of the classic Dumas action/adventure novels he loved. 

Deciding this was as good a time as any to make her exit, Manx stepped closer to the group and said, "I need to go check on a few things now. Ken, I'm glad to see that you're doing so much better and I'm sure that Norwegian's team will keep me posted on further improvements." 

"Sounds good to me, Manx," Ken agreed easily, pleased that there had been a fairly steady stream of improvements lately to share in the first place.

The woman then glanced at the younger of the two blondes and asked, "Omi? Can you meet me downstairs in a half-hour? We'll go past the Hilton then I'll drop you off at the flowershop."

Nodding gratefully that she was giving him a little extra time privately with his teammates before they were separated for a few days, the seventeen year old said, "Not a problem, Manx."

Waving her hand negligently over her shoulder as she walked from the room in much the same way she had exited the mission briefings she had conducted for Weiss over the last few years, Manx called back, "See you boys later!"

"Sure thing, *doll*!" Yohji teased loudly, deliberately annoying her with one of the nicknames she disliked as payment in kind for being reminded that she was their senior in more than rank.

Pausing as it occurred to her to turn around and go back to take Yohji to task for being impudent, she suddenly laughed slightly, shook her head and kept walking. With a smirk as she heard Omi gently chastising his teammate for being rude despite the laughter in his own alto voice, she remarked to herself, "It's good to hear them laughing again." 

With a sad sigh, she thought about how close they had come to possibly never being able to laugh again, and it simply caused her to redouble her commitment to seeing to it that Ken had every advantage for a full recovery. As far as Manx was concerned, her best operatives were rapidly becoming her best friends and as long as Weiss needed her to quietly operate in the background insulating them from her superior officer's erratic behavior, she would do so. 

*****

Later that afternoon, Omi found himself standing in the alley behind the Koneko no Sumu Ie wishing Manx farewell as he shouldered the duffel bag that contained his clothes and the few belongings that he'd gathered from the suite at the Hilton. 

"When do you plan to go back to school, Omi?" The redheaded woman asked, glad to see the cerulean-eyed teen seeming a little less distracted and worried over his boyfriend. She added a small smile as she handed him the Yahtzee game he almost forgot in the front seat of her car and then stood nearby simply pleased to see some semblance of normalcy returning to her young friend's life.

With a smile as he contemplated seeing his many school friends again, he answered, "Probably tomorrow or the day after that, Manx." Glancing over his shoulder at the private entrance to the flowershop he added, "I want to have a chance to do a full inventory for Aya-kun so he'll know what we need to order plus get those arrangements done we were talking about at the hospital. I'm looking forward to working with the flowers again."

"I'm happy you've got something enjoyable to do, Omi, you're overdue for a little relaxation," she remarked with satisfaction. But then she frowned slightly and asked, "How do you think people will react to the cover-story for Ken's injuries? I'd hate to think he might be mobbed at the hospital by well-wishers, but as I recall he has a fair number of fans of his own to cope with around here."

Omi shrugged slightly, knowing there wasn't much any of them could do to blunt the reactions of the excitable fangirls that flocked to the shop yet knew there was another group of people who would be more deeply affected by his friend's injuries. With a sigh he admitted, "Well, the schoolgirls who come to the Koneko and 'ooh and ahh' over him on a regular basis will probably get upset about it, but so what? They always do that no matter which one of us is hurt. The people I'm most concerned about are the little neighborhood kids he couches for soccer. They all adore him so much and hearing that he's badly hurt will probably scare them." Shaking his head sadly, he mentioned, "They're too young to be allowed to visit him at Tokyo General, but maybe I'll invite them to come over to the shop tomorrow afternoon and make some get well cards for me to take to him. I always keep some crayons around for them and I'll bet Ken-kun would enjoy seeing some bright happy pictures in his room."

Manx didn't bother to try to suppress the smile these sweetly thoughtful comments invoked. 

The very idea that the so-called "genki assassin" would go to the effort to have something as unexpected as arts-and-crafts materials available in the flowershop for their youngest visitors shouldn't have been a surprise, yet it was and it only caused her mood to lighten further. The image of cheerful elementary school-level pieces of artwork decorating the walls of Room 646 of Tokyo General struck her as delightful and she didn't hesitate to say so, "I think that's a great idea, Omi. I know how much he cares about those kids and it would be good to let them encourage him in return, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean, Manx," Omi assured with a firm nod. With a small chuckle he added, "Come to think of it, though, it wouldn't surprise me if after Ken-kun is allowed to come home some of the kids' moms don't show up here with food for dinner a time or two! All the ladies know he's the one who cooks for us since they run into each other at the market, and unless I miss my guess, they'll assume the rest of us can barely boil water and will want to help us out."

"Really?" The Kritiker agent looked bemused and asked, "Is that true, though? The idea that you three might be incapable in the kitchen hadn't really occurred to me."

The genki smile which had been playing at the corners of the blonde's mouth finally slipped free and he shook his head as he answered, "Well, we're not quite *that* bad, Manx, or we would've starved to death when Ken-kun and I both got hurt a couple of months ago! But Aya-kun and Yohji-kun aren't exactly what I would call world class chefs and we got through that with lots of ramen and carry-out. I can do all right with simple things like stir-fry, rice, and salads, though, so we ought to be okay, I guess."

Despite his broad smile, the teen didn't seem completely confident yet Manx decided not to worry over it too much other than to say, "I'm sure you'll be fine then and if the neighborhood ladies want to feed you that ought to help. In the meantime, though, I need to get back to headquarters and see what's going on with the other teams." She sighed and pushed a thick red curl over her shoulder as she commented thoughtfully, "I wonder if most of Grün is still on assignment in Osaka or not? Having that arrogant jerk Calico hanging around the office is annoying as hell, but Persia was saying something the other day about wanting to send them to Amsterdam for additional training soon."

Unaware of the dark relationship between the orange-haired Scotsman and his eldest teammate, Omi innocently asked, "But, Manx, I though that their data analyst was supposed to take over the research on that money-laundering scheme in Shibuya that I asked you about a few days ago. [1] Does this mean I need to plan to work on that case after all?"

Blinking ocean-colored eyes in surprise since she had indeed forgotten all about it, Manx thought for a moment then shook her head and answered, "No, Omi, I certainly don't want you to do anything about it. As I said before, Weiss is temporarily deactivated and I'll just have to find someone else to handle that if it's even still a problem." Looking tired as memories of the hectic recent past flashed in her mind, she remarked, "It seems like much more than a week has passed since Siberian was shot, doesn't it?"

His bright smile had already faded when he thought he needed to go back on duty after all, so the frown that crept onto Omi's lips wasn't unexpected as he answered, "Yes it does." Glancing at the sunny sky and noting a few high, wispy clouds that simply added to the beauty of the cool afternoon, he added with mixed emotions, "So many things have changed since the last time I was even home. I only hope that most of them were for the better *and* that Ken-kun's suffering wasn't in vain."

"What do you mean about Ken's suffering possibly being in vain, Omi?" Manx asked, slightly confused by the dark direction the youth's thoughts had suddenly taken.

Guilt and shame caused the blond teen to look away as he admitted, "I never did get through the drug company's computer system fully that night, Manx. Unless the people at headquarters were able to dig something useful out of my laptop, it's entirely possible that Ken-kun was shot and all those people were killed by Yohji-kun and Aya-kun for nothing." Anger slipped into his voice as he added unhappily, "The greedy scientists who were making those drugs could be set-up in a new place making more of their poison by now and everything we went through could've been for nothing! That just seems so wrong!"

Understanding and sympathy crossed the woman's face and she agreed, "I know, Omi, but don't give up hope. I'm sorry I forgot to mention that the computer experts at Kritiker aren't done working on your laptop yet which is why you never got it back. When I met with them three days ago, they were making a certain amount of headway on it, but I've been too busy to check on it since then." She left unsaid that she'd been too wrapped up in the investigation into Sokoke's death to follow up on the results of the mission that had left one of her operatives fighting for his life. But now that she was thinking of it, Manx felt guilty for having left the matter unresolved. 

Realizing what the redhead meant and finding unexpected hope in the lack of information, Omi smiled tentatively and asked, "So we might've gotten what we needed to stop them after all, Manx? Really?" His smile grew as the woman gave him a nod and he sighed with relief and commented, "That would be great and I bet Ken-kun would be really happy to know we probably saved a whole bunch of kids from making the mistake of using those drugs, too!"

"Yes, that's what I was just thinking," Manx commented. She then gave the boy whom she had helped to raise from childhood an even more reassuring smile as she promised, "As a matter of fact, as soon as I get back to headquarters, I'll give them a call and see what they've got. Since I was going to get in touch with Gelb about those money-launderers, maybe I can see if they want to track down any leads on the drug makers your laptop might've revealed, too." [2] 

The feelings of hope that were building in the Weiss archer suddenly expanded considerably and with a happy, startled grin, he exclaimed, "That would be *great*! I bet Angora could put together a strike plan against those creeps in Shibuya faster than I could anyway." His grin softened as he recalled the handsome older man with the long golden hair that had helped teach him much of what he knew about computers and he said confidently, "This changes everything! If you're going to have Gelb taking care of things for awhile, I won't need to worry about it. They were around years before Aya-kun joined Weiss and if anyone can finish what we started *they* can! Please let me know if they do anything about those drug manufacturers, though, okay? I really think that Ken-kun would be happy to know about it."

"Absolutely." Manx smiled fondly at the boy and suggested, "Why don't you go ahead and get started in the shop, Omi? A pretty day like this one may bring those schoolgirls around before too awfully much longer and you might as well be ready for them, you know."

"That's a good idea," Omi agreed and gave her a brief hug good-bye then said, "I'll see you later, Manx. Thanks for the ride home."

"You're welcome, Omi," she smiled as she slipped back behind the wheel. "I was glad to get a chance to talk with you this way. I hope that if you need anything at all especially while you're staying here alone that you'll give me a call, okay?"

"Okay!" The blond agreed with a wave and stepped inside the back entrance to the flowershop, very glad to be home. 

As Manx drove away intending to keep her promises and hoping that things were finally settling down for everyone, the youngest member of Weiss was slipping on his soft yellow apron and looking forward to the pleasurable peace he always felt when he lost himself in flower arranging. However, unbeknownst to him, the situation inside the Koneko was far from normal and Omi was about to be surprised by an entirely unanticipated encounter.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] This is from way back in Part 12. Bet you thought I forgot all about it, didn't you? Ah, the evils of long-term foreshadowing, ne?

[2] Please note that "Gelb" is German for yellow and is yet another codename with hidden meaning in it. I'm not sure if they will be a significant part of the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity or not, but I envision this as a team of four older and more experienced assassins to be the "stand-ins" for Weiss while they are deactivated. After all, it doesn't make sense that Kritiker would leave Tokyo undefended for months on end while Kenken recovers, does it?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 54 & 55 will be posted together. 

This evening's posting run as well as tomorrow's are both joyously dedicated to all those who welcomed the world of "Cold November Rain" back into their lives after last night's posting run.

{dances in a delighted circle since he's currently chained to his computer by Melpomene who insists that the llama get more fic posted ASAP!}

Since I wish to go in-depth with these, please allow me to start with my fanfiction.net friends and I'll cover my email fans tomorrow since I traditionally give them an extra day for such things since that list includes a few folks whose lives are as insane as my own! Plus, there was one letter in particular that struck a deep chord within me and I want to spend some time explaining and reassuring everyone on my policy regarding characters' ultimate fates and my warning lists.

{gets ready to type a *lot* then smiles and jumps in with all four hooves}

Over at fanfiction.net, Part 53 was welcomed first by none other than Yanagi-sen who also sent me the coolest comments directly! Wow, she's the best! I can't wait to start her gift fic *and* her side-story *and* whatever else I come up with for her! {smiles brightly at hopefully Japan-bound beauty} Next, Mr. Peabody arrived to make allusions to the X-Men's Wolverine. Hmm, they both have great claws, ne, Wiesshund? Maybe they're brothers separated at birth? {shakes head "no" then moves on} After the Dog came Madiha whom I apparently have corrupted to the (Yohji-Ken-Aya) mindset. Heheh! Welcome to the Dark Side of the Force, Madiha! Just wait until you see these three in lemony fun soon! I think you'll be glad you came along for the ride! {large hentai grin} Then there was a quick friendly wave from CT to whom I wave back and say "Hope you enjoyed this run, too!" {waves again and moves on} Another quick wave came from a friend of the okami persuasion! So, for silrayn, I, too, pop wolfy ears in addition to my llama ones and wave back. {waves and looks silly with so many ears and also pauses to thank his kitten-koi for looking up "wolf" in her English-Japanese dictionary for him then continues} Next were two wonderful and eye-opening notes from beloved e.e!!

{stops dead, inserts a line break while he falls on his knees in adoration then answers an inquiry with a chuckle}

The significance of all of the room numbers specified in this fic is pretty silly since they're all GW pairings riffs yet they were there for the amusement of specific people, actually. The suite at the Hilton was 535, or Trowa and Wufei together in a mutually loving relationship; this was for Ryoko and Yanagi-sen mostly. Next, was the room Nagi was put into after collapsing which was 121, which is Heero and Duo together and this was for my past GW fans who are reading this and remember me as a writer of their stuff. Then there was a glitch with 119 which was only meant to be the room immediately next door to Nagi's for Aya and Yohji to sleep in, but someone who asked to remain nameless spotted that as Lady Une and Noin together. {laughs at inadvertent yuri ref} Last, after being released from the ICU, Ken was put into 646 which means Zechs (aka Milliardo) being paired with Quatre and was chosen to amuse bearilou if no one else. So, they aren't deep and meaningful to the world of WK, but I hope that answers the question.

{smiles, reads last line from e.e, and points to a piece of Chichiri fanart that keeps him company when writing and smirks, no da, then goes to the last two lovely ladies there to thank as of 2:30am Eastern Llama Daylight Savings Time}

Next I came across Cat's reviews and I found myself smiling as I saw her remark about darling nurse Hideo Okazaki. I have to admit that he's something of a mystery even to me, though. I see him as being in his early 30's yet so short and slender that he's mistaken for being much younger and his extreme politeness due to being from a rural area makes him even more remarkable. Overall, I didn't have the heart to kill him in this fic and as soon as I realized that Korat leaving meant it created a slot for him, poof! there he was in KMC in my head almost immediately. Another interesting thing Cat mentioned was how this fic might actually fit into the series continuity and I thought that was really cool! I don't usually think about those things after I rewrite destiny so thoroughly, yet I think there may be something to those ideas and I appreciate that they were shared here.

{stays in an adoring position on the floor for the last fanfiction.net reviewer since she's so special}

Last but never *ever* least, the wonderful Beth left me a note that made me laugh out loud! "Holy Tomes, Batman! 62 parts!" Bwahahahahahah!!! This is almost *exactly* what I thought when the final count appeared before me! Wow, are we both the product of American popular culture or what?! As for the issue of using cat codenames for various characters: everyone who is directly Kritiker here will have one from me if at all possible in homage of Koyasu-sama naming them; ie: Manx, Persia, Birman, etc. These are all cat breeds and even though I'm not sure about the sad paper-airplane-making guy that lures Aya back into action halfway through the series, I think his was, too. All my OC's which are Kritiker will have feline names but not all of them will get given names and this may not make any difference, but the breeds *are* being chosen carefully to fit they way I see someone in my mind as I write. When Grün becomes more of a force to be reckoned with rather than only Calico, they will be given identities and if it becomes confusing in the future I may assemble a "Who's Who" list for easy reference. Regarding poor Nagi's fate, well, I'm very sorry, Beth, but that'll remain a mystery until "Power Failure" hits this summer. Gomenasai for being a little too good with my literary devices! 

{hangs head and looks sorry, then mentions darling Midori even though she won't read this for quite some time}

Allow me to also acknowledge the return of Midori, reviewer-extraordinaire! I can't begin to say how refreshing it is to find someone as dedicated to encouraging a fanfiction writing llama as Midori is! Every review from her here is a "blast from the past" for me helping to remind me of where this story has gone and at times reminding me of ideas I'd almost forgotten about having. I hope that she's having a lot of fun and will eventually read these words of praise for herself, but in the meantime, I just wanted to publicly thank her which is precisely what the original "Hall of Fame" complete with "Wufei's Disco Ball of Honor" was all about! 

{yawns tiredly and realizes that was one *very* long dedication note, but these folks are great and deserve a round of applause, so he claps then says good-night}

Thanks for sticking with me for another night here at the Angst Theatre! I plan to return tomorrow with the answer to the burning question of just who Omiitchi is about to run into inside the usually safe and placid environs of the Koneko no Sumu Ie and all I'll say right now, is that it *isn't* a stranger!! At least, it isn't for *him*!

{winks, laughs evilly and then vanishes into the night after calling a farewell over his shoulder}

Ciao!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is worse than the Energizer Bunny with going on and on and on about his reviewers and how much he adores them, but why not? they are, after all, some of the finest people on the planet and they keep him writing when he might otherwise slack off!)

Posted 23 April 2002, ~4:00am


	56. A New Arrival, Welcome News, and More

Greetings and welcome to the third-from-the-last night of the debut appearance of "Cold November Rain" here at the Angst Theatre!

{looks amazed that the end is in sight, then recalls that's partially because the Parts are getting *huge* then he stops everything and celebrates a noteworthy event}

This morning sometime after Parts 54 and 55 were posted to fanfiction.net, the review count there broke another century mark with Mr. Peabody swooping in to claim the 400th review! {tosses Pocky bouquets to everyone reading this so they can share in the celebration then keeps going} As those of you who read my lengthy end-note last night already know, my reviewers are extremely dear to me. I am humbled by this outpouring of kindness that is giving my muses strength and helping to keep my spirits up as this tale comes to a close and I immediately rush to begin another! Hearing what people think and feel in response to my writing helps me to stay energized and even though it's impossible to predict the final review count there, I'm already a very lucky llama to have gotten the response that I have and I thank you all.

{bows deeply in gratitude, then pulls on Vicious' tuxedo before flipping a switch to light the marquee which causes light to spill across his genki face as he reads the playbill} 

Tonight's rather long performance opens with Part 56 as Omi confronts a new arrival in the Koneko before taking a moment to check his email where yet another surprise awaits him. The focus shifts to the Schwarz penthouse in Part 57 as Nagi receives a most unexpected gift which brings him joy and Schuldich and Crawford share something quite different that brings them horror. 

{pauses, thinks about Part 57 again, then reaches for not one but *two* warning flags and holds them up with a small frown}

Last night's Kleenex warning is back for similar yet different reasons as a pair of bishounen I look forward to torturing more in the future feel the agonizing pain of Melpomene's unique brand of foreshadowing. It seems to me that not enough writers look at the emotional burden Brad's powers must be to him at times, so I hope you'll forgive me if it seems a bit over the top. The other flag is a small one for possible squick. The detailed warnings for this fic include the words "squick: medical and other" and this is definitely of the "other" variety and without revealing the plot too much, let's just say there's a scene here that shouldn't be read while you're eating, okay? 

{hopes these warnings help since the Kleenex one seemed to be appreciated last night then adds an important note before turning you loose on the story}

In the end-note tonight is a very important discussion about a key issue that many of you have expressed concern about in the course of this story's presentation which is the use of the death of characters both original and from the series as a plot element. After receiving a heartfelt letter from a reader expressing her fears regarding this last night, I answered in my usual long-winded manner then realized that other people might want to see what I had to say about the matter and decided to include it tonight. After reading my latest wonderful batch of reviews at fanfiction.net, though, I realize that I definitely want to settle this so people can be more confident regarding my intentions. There's also a paragraph or so about my own preferences for what I read and write that might be both reassuring and a little frightening all at the same time, so check it out if you want a glance at a llama's point of view.

For now, though, enough chitchat from me since it's time to see Omi continuing to try to get his life back to normal! Oh, and there's a lot of author's notes this time around and I hope they, too, clarify a few things! 

Enjoy the Angst! 

~~~Enigma~~~

(who thinks this is one of the most bipolar posting runs in a long time with a hopefully humorous beginning and a fairly tragic ending. {waves both warning flags again to remind everyone to read with care})

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 56/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 6. time: 1350-1600 hours. ++ 

***** 

Expecting only the sedate presence of Momoe puttering around the flowershop if it wasn't entirely empty, the youngest member of Weiss was certainly unprepared for what greeted him as he pushed open the door from the backroom directly into the Koneko.

Bright sunshine streamed through unshuttered shop windows and danced across a messy work table and dirt-strewn floor before splashing against a colorful display of vibrantly hued primroses newly potted in cheerful planters with large decidedly retro smiley faces all over them.

"What the…?!" Omi exclaimed as the opening bars of a recent pop hit by one of the American boy bands burst forth from the carefully concealed speakers of the Koneko. Baffled, he glanced at where Momoe sat in her cushioned chair simply holding her cat and smiling brightly as she bobbed her gray-haired head in time with the bouncy music but found no answers. 

Running a hand through his bangs and wondering what could possibly explain the bizarre scene before him, the cerulean-eyed boy missed the sound of small, sneaker-clad feet creeping up behind him. As he was about to ask the elderly lady what was going on, Omi was suddenly blinded by two small, soft hands clamping themselves over his eyes. 

Before the trapped teen could react, a falsely high-pitched voice sang out, "Guess who, Omi-kun!"

Frozen in place by the frightening realization that he had just been taken completely by surprise despite his years of training, the assassin codenamed Bombay didn't react at all for a moment and his assailant considered it quite a victory. Unable to suppress a laugh, the girl behind him released her grip on his face then spun him about to face herself.

Blinking his newly freed eyes to clear them of their temporary haze, Omi suddenly recognized his attacker and exclaimed in shock, "Lorlor-chan?! What are *you* doing here?!" [1] 

The brunette middle-school student smirked at him and responded in her normal alto, "I came to Tokyo to visit Aunt Momoe during autumn break, silly!!" Cocking her head to one side and giving him an apprising look, she asked in a more serious tone, "How is Ken-san doing? Auntie said he was hurt in a motorcycle accident. I'm not so sure I believe that, mind you, but it worried me all the same that none of you were here when I arrived yesterday."

Giving himself a chance to catch his breath before answering the energetic thirteen year old, Omi realized he was grinning helplessly, glad that of all the people he'd imagined greeting him in such a strange fashion it had only been her. 

The men of Weiss had grown accustomed to receiving infrequent visits from the grandniece of the elderly lady who continued to enjoy the odd music selection while ignoring the two teens. Lorlor attended a very exclusive academy for the gifted in Kyoto where her keen intellect had been honed so sharp that she had already begun to question whether or not the handsome young men she knew as florists weren't something else entirely. Despite her appearance, the young woman peering closely at Omi at that moment could see far more of the truth about him than any of the fangirls who visited him on a daily basis ever did.

Realizing that the girl in front of him was tapping her foot in impatience and not intending to move until she had an answer, the cerulean-eyed teen found his voice and responded, "Yes, Ken-kun had a motorcycle accident last week and got hurt fairly badly, I'm afraid." Seeing that she didn't believe him, he forced the most sincere smile he could muster and added, "He's doing a lot better now, Lorlor-chan, but he has to stay in the hospital for awhile and Aya-kun and Yohji-kun are there now keeping him company."

"Well, that's good," the girl sniffed imperiously as if to imply that the elder pair of florists certainly had no business leaving the chocolate-eyed teen alone, but then her eyes narrowed slightly and she asked, "So, whose bike was Ken-san riding when he wrecked it, Omi-kun? I saw his Kawasaki parked in its place in the basement garage when I went down to wash the aprons for the shop this morning so I know it wasn't that one." [2] 

Not hesitating a moment since even this detail had been rehearsed, he answered quickly, "It was a rental, Lorlor-chan." Seeing that this wasn't enough of an explanation he hurried to add, "It was a Yamaha that he was trying out to see if he wanted to get a new one for his birthday next month."

"Oh?" Long lashes fluttered over blue-gray eyes as the girl thought this over, nodded slightly and asked, "Was that going to be a present from Yohji-san and Aya-san? It's nice they'd get him something big for turning twenty, don't you think?"

"Nani?! Why do you assume they'd be buying him a gift like that?" Omi gasped for a moment, shocked enough by her unexpectedly insightful remark that her next question sailed past his defenses entirely.

"Woman's intuition," she remarked casually and asked, "So, what model and color was it?"

Gaping like a fish out of water, the youngest member of Weiss, a notorious assassin and decidedly gifted tactician found himself totally lost since these details hadn't been considered. Before he could make up a quick falsehood to cover not only the slight blush that crept onto his face after processing such knowing remarks from one so young as well as the lack of truth in his own words, the chimes over the door rang out cheerfully. Spinning towards the new arrival with gratitude in his eyes, Omi sang out a welcome and rushed to see what the nervous looking businessman who had just entered wished to purchase.

Lorlor giggled slightly and shook her head, mumbling something about boys being utterly clueless most of the time and then wandered back to the messy workbench intending to sweep up after creating her whimsical display of happy-faced pots of flowering plants. 

From the perch on her comfortably padded chair, Momoe watched her grandniece and chuckled softly to herself. 

Hearing the slight noise from its mistress, the cat in her lap looked up and meowed quietly as if asking what was so funny. Gazing at the feline and rubbing its ears fondly, she answered very softly, "Ah, R'oko, never you mind the amusement of an old woman. Those boys little Manx asked me to watch over so long ago aren't half as stealthy as they like to think they are, but leave it to my niece's daughter to be blunt enough to let on to such a guarded secret."

"Mrow?" The cat asked again, mostly wanting to have her ears scratched more, but delighting in the attention of unintelligible conversation as well. 

Chuckling again, Momoe continued to pet the ball of fur and she commented sadly, "If only my dear sister was alive to see the mischief her granddaughter was causing here. It would've made her heart warm. Ah, but why don't you and I go make some tea for poor Omi? It would seem he might need a cup, don't you think?" Her many wrinkles deepened as she smiled wordlessly at the scene before her. 

Indeed, the young blond was busily trying to help the man who had forgotten his wife's birthday making various suggestions that were politely rejected one after another since the forgetful husband felt he needed something truly spectacular to make up for his mistake. It took awhile to create the arrangement that was finally chosen and by the time he left with over two dozen roses and enough baby's breath to create a soft cloud around them, Omi had forgotten entirely Lorlor's earlier inquisitive remarks. 

Sipping the cooled tea gratefully after thanking Momoe for her kindness in preparing it, the Weiss archer noticed he had roughly an hour before the usual 4pm invasion of schoolgirls. 

Smiling as he noted that his energetic friend had gotten not only her own mess cleaned up but his as well before starting on watering several of the dish gardens scattered around the shop, Omi asked, "Lorlor-chan? Could you and your aunt take care of the store for me for a bit? I'd like to go upstairs and check my email and stuff." He knew it was probably unreasonable to expect word from Nagi barely a day after the diminutive telekinetic had left his side, but hope springs eternal in the hearts of people in love and he wanted to at least try.

The girl turned and smiled brightly at him agreeing conditionally, "Sure thing, Omi-kun, but can you please try to be back down here before the high school students arrive? That girl with the purple eyes and the big mouth was in here yesterday demanding to see you and giving me grief when I told her you weren't around." [3] 

Omi groaned in minor pain and nodded, "That would be Ouka, Lorlor-chan. Yeah, she can be a little pushy, but she's kind of nice once you get to know her."

Rolling her eyes in classic young teen disbelief, his friend answered sarcastically, "Oh puhleaze!! She acted like she owned the place and you were her personal servant who had no business being away from her side! If I were you, I'd be careful! I think she's hunting for a boyfriend!"

Giggling helplessly as he pulled his buttercup-colored apron off and hung it on a hook, Omi shook his head and remarked, "Well, if that's the case, I'm afraid she's wasting her time." As he headed for the stairs to the private rooms above the shop he added, "She's not my type."

Snickering to herself and going back to watering the dish gardens, the girl shook her head slightly and commented acidly under the noise of the hose, "I'll bet! How blind can that girl be? *Everybody* knows that all the best looking guys are gay!" [4] 

***** 

In his room and blissfully unaware of comments about his sexual preference that would've undoubtedly caused a fairly distinct blush to cross his cheeks, Omi was busily opening the private email account that only Nagi used to reach him.

Nervously nibbling on his bottom lip as he glanced at his collection of "Gundam Wing" yaoi doujinshi and realizing he needed to add his newest acquisition to it, he jumped slightly as a rousing sound clip from the battle theme from "Endless Waltz" informed him he had mail. Delighted that he hadn't heard the soft melodic tones of the closing theme of "Outlaw Star" instead since it was his indicator that there weren't any new messages, Omi quickly double-clicked on the promising envelope icon and waited impatiently for the email to open automatically. 

An incredibly bright genki smile danced in his eyes as he read a message that he had barely dared to hope for only to find it was even better news than he'd imagined. It was date- and time-stamped a full day earlier and read as follows:

"Hello, Omi-koi! 

I wanted to let you know that I made it home okay today and even though I haven't seen Brad yet, everything here seems to be all right after all. (^_^) [5] 

Poor Schu practically burned the place down trying to fix a special pizza for Farf right before I got home, but it turned out all right in the end and tasted pretty good, too! Oh, and in case you were worried, Schu didn't care about my taking the Ferrari after all! He was really nice about it and even though he didn't say it in so many words, I think that if I ever needed it again that way, I could take it and not be in trouble which is really reassuring.

Farf was in a good mood and was happy to see me, too, which was really nice and in a little bit we're going to watch something from Food Network that he taped while I was gone where some guy swallows a freshly disembodied cobra heart while it's still beating. I thought it sounded gross, but he was really excited about showing it to me since the guy, um, Tony Something-or-Other calls his knives his "babies" and Farf thinks he's cool. [6] 

I'm getting to use the computer right now since you-know-who wasn't home to say "no", but I doubt I'll get to do this again until I get to the library at school. Of course, if I use that one we need to be a little more careful about what we say (^_~), but at least we can stay in touch that way, ne? 

Please email me when you can to let me know how Ken is doing. Unfortunately, I might not get the message for a few days since my school schedule might be crazy. (-_-;;) Um, I think I missed a couple of big exams while I was at Tokyo General, but I'll be thinking of him and hope there's good news about his kidney and spine injuries soon. I hope Yohji and Aya are okay, too. It really was great getting to spend time with them the way that I did these last few days, I just wish the circumstances had been different.

Well, Schu just warned me that Brad's on his way home now (-_-), so I'd better signoff. I miss you already, koi, and even though I don't know when we can be together again, I'm already looking forward to it.

I love you so very much!

Nagi"

Joyous, grateful teardrops sparkled like jewels on Omi's cheeks as he reread his boyfriend's words three times before quickly typing a response. 

Realizing that Nagi might be forced to read the message in a non-secure location, the Weiss archer was more careful than usual as he chose his words. Yet with codenames for most of the people involved it wasn't too hard to let his boyfriend know that the KNT-0201 was living up to its reputation and that there were other significant improvements as well for their injured friend. He had a bit of difficulty finding enough different ways to say that he loved and missed his sable-haired partner without making it too embarrassing, but in the end he was satisfied with his creation. 

After double-checking the message one last time, Omi clicked the send icon and sat back in his chair with a sweet smile lingering on his lips. His tears had dried and his heart seemed to sing as the small timer he'd set to remind himself not to break his promise to Lorlor went off and he quickly exited the program. Unaware that it would be several days before Nagi could get to a public access computer to read his message since Crawford had decreed that the youngest member of Schwarz was to be restricted to Estet business only online until further notice, Omi left his room feeling positively elated. 

Practically skipping down the stairs in delight, the Weiss archer had a flash of inspiration and it was all he could do not to shout with delight as it occurred to him that he actually *could* tell Nagi how he felt at that moment after all. 

Cerulean eyes dancing happily as he reentered the flowershop, Omi noticed that Lorlor was busy getting a balloon bouquet ready for a young mother whose rosy-cheeked son had just behaved remarkably well at the dentist's office. Smiling and nodding at the rightfully proud eight year old, he hummed a happy tune and gathered a carefully selected collection of multicolored blooms together and took them to the workbench along with an elegantly understated black lacquer vase.

Curious to know what her friend was doing, the brunette girl hurried to attach a few brightly colored ribbons to the ends of the balloons and then stood deferentially nearby as her grandaunt rang up the sale. Money exchanged hands easily and then the elderly lady presented the collection of happy, helium-filled mylar toys to the mother who, in turn, presented them to her son with a truly relieved smile on her face. 

Seeing the boy was having a bit of trouble making sure he had a good grip on his prizes, Lorlor chose one of the tiny metal toys that were more than heavy enough to keep them from floating away and were used for that purpose when needed. After quickly and efficiently tying the ends of the ribbon around a white race car with a bright red 5 emblazoned on the door, she smiled and bowed to the boy adding her own congratulations since she didn't exactly enjoy going to the dentist either. 

With a shy smile that revealed a dazzlingly white set of freshly cleaned teeth--ones with no cavities in them, too!--the boy bowed in return, thanked her for the extra gift, then obediently followed his mother out of the shop. 

Now that her obligation to her customer was taken care of, the blue-gray-eyed girl walked over to the workbench and asked, "Omi-kun? Who's that for?"

"Someone special," the elder teen responded without thinking. Realizing he'd said too much but that it was too late to worry over it, he shrugged slightly, tucked one last blossom into place, then reached for a sheet of notepaper and wrote an address on it that he himself had never dared to visit. Of course Omi would've loved to have taken the flowers himself if he could, but he knew he'd be immediately recognized by the Schwarz psychics and his nightmarish thoughts from much earlier that day returned and he knew it was out of the question.

With a shy smile on his face, the blond youth asked hesitantly, "Um, could you do me a really big favor, Lorlor-chan?" Originally he had planned to contact a courier service for the delivery but realizing it was getting late in the afternoon when the services were frequently overloaded with requests, he decided to take a chance on his young friend being able to handle the important assignment for him.

Pretending to think it over, she examined the glitter-coated nails of one hand and asked disinterestedly, "Maybe. What's in it for me?" 

Prepared for the girl's usual games, Omi fought the desire to smirk as he mentioned, "Well, if you'll deliver this for me, I know of a great little café on the way back that has absolutely yummy ice cream parfaits and I'll be glad to treat you to one." Realizing he had her interest piqued, he added as if it was an afterthought, "Come to think of it, though, I haven't been to Mamba-chan's place in a long time. Maybe I ought to take this myself and get one of their special 'Five Flavors of Chocolate' Parfaits with extra Pocky instead of asking you to do it for me."

Making a moue of disappointment and sticking out her lower lip expressively, the girl batted her eyelashes and pouted, "But *I* want a parfait, too, Omi-kun!" Her weakness for Pocky, of course, had nothing to do with it.

Fiddling with one of the sprigs of greenery he was adding to the tasteful yet colorful arrangement in his hands, the Weiss archer acted as if he was giving it more thought but then he laughed and said, "Well, all right, *you* can have the parfait!" The girl smiled gleefully but then he added with a cautionary gesture and a serious expression, "But this is a kind of odd delivery, Lorlor-chan, and I need a special favor from you on it, okay?"

Pleased that she would be enjoying a delicious treat and a pleasant afternoon stroll, the girl nodded and agreed, "Not a problem, Omi-kun. What is it? Do I get to deliver a singing message or something like that? That might be fun, I've been in chorus at school this term."

Omi paused, blinked thoughtfully for a moment then smirked a little as he thought of a way to possibly avoid the one thing that held the greatest risk in this approach, a risk that he had been having trouble figuring out a way to avoid. Placing the arrangement into a plain box that didn't have the Koneko's highly stylized cat symbol emblazoned on it, he commented, "Actually, singing is a really good idea, Lorlor-chan. I know this is going to sound weird, but if you could sing in your head the whole time you deliver this I think it might drive someone bonkers!"

Intrigued since she'd done a detailed research paper on ESP for one of her classes, the brunette asked, "Oh? Is this a mind reader or something that I'm delivering to? I read about people like that in a research file once about some group of people in America who had all kinds of weird powers and used them to fight for justice and stuff."

Omi snorted softly and shook his head, "No, those are the 'X-Men', Lorlor-chan! This is for real, and yes, it *is* a telepath but that doesn't matter right now. Tell me, do you know a really irritating song that you can sing in your head so whoever answers the door won't be able to read your thoughts?"

Annoyed with his lack of understanding, she stuck her tongue out at him, commented acidly, "Those were actually Interpol operatives based at the UN, Omi-*kun*, and yeah, I know just the thing." Moving to grab her jacket even as he stood frozen in place since he thought that particular organization still denied that they had several teams comparable to Estet's groups at that point, Lorlor grumbled something about a lack of respect being problematic. Deciding not to make an issue of it since she had clearly won the debate, she returned with her palm turned up in silent command and asked, "Where am I headed and how much do I get for my snack at the café? I *am* kind of hungry now that I think about it."

Blinking his eyes as he stopped being quite so stunned, Omi responded by pulling out his wallet and dropping more than enough cash into her hand to buy two of the café's specials and then he gave her the address to the Schwarz penthouse. Feeling totally lost and more than a little foolish, he said, "Um, this ought to cover anything you want at Mamba-chan's place, the address for that is on the pink sheet. The one on the yellow sheet is where the flowers need to go and the person to ask for to give them to, okay?"

Glancing at both and consulting the map of Tokyo they kept by the register for reference, she nodded happy once more since he'd conceded defeat. "Sure thing, Omi-kun!" Looking at the yellow paper again, she asked knowingly, "Is this 'Nagi' a girl or a guy? I don't want to give them to the wrong person."

Not bothering to look embarrassed now that he had the distinct feeling she already knew the answer, he responded, "A guy. He's a little shorter than I am with dark hair and deep blue eyes." 

Pocketing the cash and addresses before collecting up the box with the flowers inside, she grinned wickedly and said, "Oooh!! Yummy! He sounds *cute*, Omi-kun!! I'll make sure he gets these and after my snack I'll be back to help you deal with the bossy purple-eyed chick and her cronies, okay?" She waved gleefully and headed out the front door with a saucy bounce in her step.

After sighing and feeling as if he'd rather go head-to-head with Schwarz instead of the girl who was four years younger than he was, Omi set about taking inventory and preparing for the after-school deluge to set in. 

Sitting in her chair with her cat in her lap as usual, Momoe wasn't the least bit concerned for her grandniece's safety. Even when delivering flowers in Tokyo alone, a young girl with as sharp a mind and as quick a tongue as Lorlor would always be able to handle whatever came her way. The elderly lady actually enjoyed the peace and quiet as the cerulean-eyed teen happily moved through the shop readying it for what would be a busy afternoon as Omi settled back into the routine of life in the Koneko.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] As many of you may have already guessed, Momoe's grandniece "Lorlor-chan" is based on my youngest daughter Lauren. I had promised both of my chibis guest roles in this continuity. The physical description of the character reflects Lauren's current opinions of herself and much of her dialogue is straight from the "Hentai-Chibi-from-Hell's" own mouth as is some of the opinions about certain situations and personalities that Lorlor encounters in the story.

[2] Regarding a couple of details in the story: I've searched my artbooks for information on where exactly they store Yohji's car and Ken and Omi motorcycles, but never saw anything definitive. However, since in the series Ken is frequently shown dashing off to one side of the basement where logic says there wouldn't be an exterior door, I concluded a basement garage would be a logical explanation. As for the brand of Kenken's beloved ride, the series artbook indicates it's a Kawasaki and I decided that was good enough for me.

[3] Gomenasai for the slight Ouka-bashing, but Lauren can't stand her and I allowed this piece of dialogue to reflect her opinion.

[4] The last sentence in Lorlor-chan's diatribe about why Omi isn't interested in Ouka is a verbatim quote from one of Lauren's 7th grade friends! Who says the young are blind to the ways of the world?

[5] As for Nagi's seemingly OOC use of emoticons in an email, well, considering the way these two act when they're together in this continuity, it just seemed to fit. As for his word choice and "tone" in the email, I assumed he would be so incredibly relieved that his homecoming had gone exceptionally well that he'd be rather more genki than usual at this point since it predates the talk with Brad.

[6] Heheh! I couldn't make up stuff this weird on my own, folks! This is a reference to the inexplicably fascinating Tony Bourdain of "A Cook's Tour," another 40+ year old white guy like the llama who is traveling the road less taken and has a TV show to prove it! He agreed to "go anywhere and eat anything" because, in his own words, he "has nothing to lose"! The squicky episode with the nearly live cobra heart in it was from his southeastern Asia series and he commented on-screen that he could feel it beating all the way down, something that he apparently didn't enjoy. As for the comments about his knives, these too are from the show, and he carries the blades around with him obsessively during several episodes wherein he actually behaves like the chef that he truly is. His "chef's whites" have an interesting logo of a Grateful-Dead-esque skull chomping on a large knife and if he wouldn't be one of Farfarello's favorite television celebrities I don't know who would!

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 56 & 57 will be posted together. 


	57. Joy at the Schwarz Penthouse Followed by...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 57/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 6. time: 1630-2350 hours. ++ 

***** 

Running a hand through flame red hair that was now a displeasing six centimeters shorter than normal, Schuldich was scowling disconsolately at a cookbook and wondering what to try in his current guise as chef for the Schwarz penthouse when the doorbell rang.

Surprised since they very rarely received guests, the German rose gracefully from where he had been resting on the couch and sauntered towards the front door, silently calling out to two of his teammates, {{I've got it!}} 

Ordinarily, the nonverbal alert would've included their Irish friend as well, but after the prior day's pleasant turn of events as Nagi rejoined them, the madness that occasionally tore at the edges of his sanity returned and Farfarello was currently in his room, restrained and heavily sedated. Narrowing his broadcast so that only his lover would receive his words, the redhead added tentatively, {{Um, Brad? Did you order delivery for dinner?}}

Luckily, there wasn't any tension lingering in the air between the Schwarz couple since the telepath had followed the entire painful conversation between Nagi and Crawford the day before and he knew that the American had done the best he could at the time. In fact, he felt sorry for his lover to a certain extent. The emerald-eyed man alone knew how hellish it had been for the raven-haired one who was trying to be a disciplinarian even as his heart sang out with a desire to merely embrace the boy that had been away from them so long earlier in the week. [1] 

The precog's mental voice, soft with sleepiness since he'd needed a lengthy nap after receiving a painful premonition earlier in the afternoon which he refused to discuss with anyone, answered, {{No, it wasn't me, Schu. I feel too sick to eat anyway.}} With a sigh that was both mental and physical he added with uncharacteristic weakness, {{Could you please take care of it? I feel like shit right now and would rather just stay here in our room in the dark.}}

Wishing he knew what his partner was hiding from him despite their intensely close relationship, the redhead agreed and responded, {{Well, all right, baby, I will this time. But I swear on a stack of Bibles that the next time you start puking your guts up after a vision and won't tell me what you saw, I intend to go into that pretty little head of yours and yank it out!}} The lightness of the tone and the sweetness of the words were a reflection of his deep and abiding concern as well as how serious he was about this promise in the guise of a threat. Schuldich's broad-shouldered American lover was rarely anything but strong and steadfast which meant that sensing that he was truly miserable after the undisclosed vision of the future frightened the telepath. 

Crawford wished he could suppress the desire to chuckle since it only caused his stomach to turn cartwheels, then answered, {{You aren't Christian, Schu. Why should you swearing on one of their Bibles mean anything to me?}}

The German snorted softly even as he approached the door and commented playfully, {{Well, maybe I feel Jewish right now. I dunno. Let me see who it is that is keeping me from finding an amazing recipe or two for tonight, all right?}} Adding a soft, mental kiss he said gently, {{And you can go ahead and go back to sleep, Brad. Whoever it is can't be much of a match for me, you know.}}

{{Of course not, Schu.}} Brad sent back and allowed himself to start to sink back into blissfully painless sleep then added quietly, {{But if you decide to kill whoever the hell it is, could you please see to it that they bleed to death in the hallway this time? After getting the smoky smell out of everything in here this afternoon, I'd hate to have to get it cleaned again.}}

{{Nag, nag, nag!}} Schuldich sent back playfully along with a deeper plea that the one he loved get some more rest. Then he refocused his powers and opened his mind to the unknown as he peered out the peephole. Instead of finding someone overtly threatening, however, all the redhead saw outside the door was a young delivery girl, apathetically chewing gum with her mind wrapped around one of the singularly most annoying songs of all time. 

As the strains of a hit song from the late 1990's rang through his unwilling mind, Schuldich groaned aloud and opened the door demanding through his sudden pain, "What the *hell* do you want?!?" The German would've terminated his connection to her thoughts if he was certain she was truly harmless, yet the desire to protect his teammates overrode his own need for comfort and he allowed the annoying tune to continue to harass him because of it.

The girl raised an eyebrow as the redhead growled at her. Realizing he was the telepath Omi had been worried about and deciding it was fun to annoy him, she increased the volume and intensity of her counterattack sending straight towards him, {{La la la la la! All around the world! Sing la la la la la!! All the boys and girls!!}} 

In between annoying repetitions of the horrifically redundant chorus of the song, Lorlor asked with apparent disinterest, "Is Nagi home? I've got something for him."

Wishing that the girl would stop repeating the mindless drivel that was rapidly turning his mind to mush, Schuldich snarled angrily, "He can't come to the door right now." He firmly controlled his words and avoided adding an insult to the amazingly polite sentence considering the circumstances then snarled, "May *I* help you?"

Surreptitiously gazing past the admittedly handsome redhead to spot a shy sable-haired boy whom she rightfully assumed was her target, Lorlor shrugged and answered, "Afraid not, gramps. I've got a delivery for Nagi and no one else." Mischief lit her blue-gray eyes as she added threateningly, "Of course, I'm more than happy to stay here until he *is* able to come to the door if that's the way you want to be about it."

Mentally screaming as the chorus to the mind-numbing song washed over him yet again, Schuldich submitted to the pressure and sent in desperation, {{Nagi? Could you please come out here and shut this little bitch *up*?! I have no idea who sent her here to torture me, but right now, I can't cope!}} Despite Crawford's earlier permission to use deadly force if necessary, the telepath had a standing rule not to kill children if he could avoid it and since the brunette facing him didn't seem like a true enemy he preferred to let her complete her business and go away unharmed. Then again, if the song didn't stop circling in his brain like a vulture over three-day old roadkill soon, he might change his mind entirely!

Curious to see who or what could distract Schuldich enough to make him lose his cool so completely, Nagi eased himself from his semi-hidden place in the doorframe to his bedroom and muttered silently, {{I'm on my way, Schu. What's the problem?}}

Groaning and sending a snippet of the chorus that was driving him insane to his friend, the telepath nearly begged, {{Just get rid of her and help me find a way to get this crap out of my head, okay, Nagi?}} There was a quiet psychic moan and he grumbled almost to himself, {{Why do pop music writers have to come up with shit like this to torture adults?}} 

Nagi understandably found this both humorous and serious since he didn't like to see his dear friend made miserable by anyone yet Schuldich's lack of control was amusing. Stepping up to the door with his arms crossed over his chest, he glared at the strange girl and commented archly, "I'm Nagi. Why are you looking for me?"

Immediately switching from her spoiled teen persona to that of a girl on a secret mission with hints of romance, Lorlor smiled delightedly and held the unlabeled box out in both hands as she said sweetly, "I have a delivery for you."

Eyeing the box distrustfully, the midnight blue-eyed boy asked, "What is it and who is it from?" There was nothing intrinsically odd about the telekinetic receiving a package, of course. Various computer components arrived on a semi-regular basis, but they'd always been delivered by men and women substantially older than Momoe's grandniece and they were usually in uniform instead of the latest in young teen casualwear.

Rolling her blue-gray eyes slightly since she had expected him to simply accept the package without giving her too much trouble, the thirteen year old said, "You'll have to open it yourself to find out what's inside." Then a sparkle entered her eyes and she added with a wink, "But I'll tell you this much, it's from someone *special*!"

Realizing there was only one person who lived beyond the walls of the Schwarz penthouse that he considered truly "special", the telekinetic's expression became less wary as he began to wonder if his boyfriend could have something to do with the current strange situation. Allowing himself to hope that he might be right, he asked hesitantly, "Um, would that be someone 'special' to you or to me?"

"Both." The girl smiled and shoved the package forward a bit as she asked, "Aren't you going to take it? I promise you'll like it and I *really* need to get going. There's an ice cream parfait waiting for me!"

Reaching for the mysterious box anxiously now that he was almost certain this was Omi's doing, Nagi asked knowingly, "Would that be a chocolate one with extra Pocky on the side by any chance?"

Lorlor beamed at him since she was pleased that he finally understood her hidden message and answered, "You bet! But I want to get it before dark, so I need to get going." Noticing that Schuldich was glaring at her from across the room, she snickered mentally and reiterated the annoying song in her mind on the off-chance he was foolish enough to still be listening to her thoughts. Her careful avoidance of any mental images of Omi or the Koneko had paid off nicely, though, and all the German knew was that she was hungry for ice cream as she handed him the package.

Cradling the delivery box against himself as the girl walked away, Nagi called out politely, "Thank you, miss." As she vanished around the turn in the hallway that led to the elevator, he reached out with his powers and closed the door firmly wishing that doing so alone might alleviate some of the telepath's obvious discomfort.

"I'm glad *that's* over!" Schuldich harrumphed angrily then sauntered towards where Nagi had placed the box on the coffee table and was carefully prying open the top hoping against hope he wasn't making a terrible mistake. 

The Japanese psychic knew that if he took what he presumed was a gift from his boyfriend straight to his room and tried to hide it from the emerald-eyed man, Schuldich would only become even more curious as to what had been delivered. If, however, he opened it there where the German could see for himself what was inside, perhaps his curiosity would be sated and he'd not harass Nagi about the source of the gift. 

Peering into the newly opened box, Nagi's first impression of the contents came from the sudden release of the rich floral fragrances which had been trapped inside during the trip from the Koneko to the Schwarz penthouse. With a happy sigh that he couldn't have suppressed if he'd wanted to, he reached in and carefully withdrew the bouquet and set it down on the coffee table with a small smile of delight. The elegant black vase was the perfect counterpoint for the delicate profusion of meaningful blossoms it held and it was all he could do to keep joyful tears from forming as he took stock of his marvelous gift.

Velvety, deep blue Peruvian irises that were almost black in their richness were the main focus of the arrangement yet their opulence was only enhanced by the presence of the numerous pastel shades of the blossoms surrounding them. Soft baby-blue gentians danced throughout the bouquet while pale shell pink roses and lavender cattleyas more sedately unfurled themselves in carefully selected spots that seemed to return the focus of the eye to the main feature of the arrangement. 

The crowning glory of the bouquet were the creamy white freesias which had been carefully intertwined with the stems of the irises to create an image of dark blackish-blue embraced by white that brought a hint of color to alabaster cheeks as Nagi recalled his lessons in "Koneko code". Sprigs of greenery and baby's breath provided subtle highlighting and emphasis for the overall effect and the sable-haired telekinetic knew that this floral masterpiece could only have been created by the one he adored more than anyone else in the world. 

The slogan "Say it With Flowers" may have been coined for an American horticulture business, yet the florists of the Koneko no Sumu Ie had taken it to a whole new level and this arrangement practically sang with meaning. The meaning of blossoms representing Omi being wrapped around ones which stood for himself was clear and exceptionally reassuring to the sable-haired boy. The presence of the varieties that represented the other three members of Weiss reminded Nagi that they loved and cared for him, too. Even though none of them could imagine a day that the members of Kritiker's assassin group actually set foot into the Schwarz penthouse, for the fifteen year old who gazed at the arrangement adoringly it was as if his four friends were there with him in spirit all the same.

Having sidled up beside his friend as the teen was lost in a happy haze of appreciation for the fragrant bouquet, Schuldich tilted his head from side to side and then asked in confusion, "Who's sending *you* flowers, chibi?" Then his voice gained a touch of unanticipated emotion as he asked pointedly, "And *why*?"

Disregarding the use of the nickname he strongly disliked, Nagi smiled secretively and said as nonchalantly as possible, "They're from a friend, Schu. It's no big deal."

The telepath snorted in disbelief and commented, "Well, it's been *my* experience that people don't send flowers without good reason, Nagi!" Sudden realization hit him, though, and he smirked as he asked pointedly, "I'll bet they're from your girlfriend, aren't they?"

"My *what*?!" Nagi spluttered, the shock of the question shattering his usual mask of cool entirely as he demanded, "What makes you think I have a girlfriend, Schu?"

Chortling confidently, the German congratulated himself on solving the mystery and he pretended to lose interest as he sat back down and started searching through the cookbook halfheartedly. Sensing Nagi's frustration even though the sable-haired youth hadn't opened his mental shields in the least to expose his true feelings, emerald eyes glanced over at him playfully and he explained, "Well, if they aren't from that girl you chat with online all the time, who *are* they from?"

Midnight blue eyes went wide and blinked briefly then Nagi realized that Schuldich had mistakenly assumed he had on online girlfriend whom he'd rushed to email the day before and he sighed in relief and answered, "All right, you caught me. They're from my friend, but 'Robin' is *not* my girlfriend, Schu! Far from it!" He'd made it a point to never mention Omi's screen-name in the past, but since he was in a hurry to sidetrack the redheaded man from the truth, he simply used the part that came to mind first without really thinking it through.

"Yeah, yeah, you tell yourself that if it makes you feel better, chibi," Schuldich remarked sarcastically. 

Glad that the telepath couldn't read his heavily shielded mind and see the truth for what it was, Nagi acted insulted and refused to comment. Then he picked up his bouquet and wordlessly headed for the sanctity of his bedroom where he intended to simply sit and stare at his flowers in peace and quiet enjoying the feeling of being loved and appreciated from a distance. 

But even as he walked away, the redhead silently taunted him in a schoolyard tone, {{Nagi and Robin sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!}} His mental jab ended with a laugh and the equivalent of a friendly caress as he added quietly, {{Way to go, kid. If you can get 'em to send you flowers when you're only fifteen, you're doing better than *I* ever did!}}

Unable to stay angry with someone he cared so much about, Nagi sent back, {{Thanks, Schu. Let me know if you need any help with dinner, okay? I know Farf would want to help if he was rational right at the moment, but maybe my assistance would be better than none?}}

{{Yeah, sure, that'd be great,}} his friend responded and then allowed their conversation to end since his thoughts past this point were quite private. 

Blissfully unaware of the German's distraction, Nagi went into his room enjoying the sensation of basking in the glow of love that the bouquet gave him. He rearranged some things on a small table near his bed with his powers and then settled the black lacquer vase into the center of it turning it from side to side until he was pleased with its appearance in a shaft of late afternoon sunlight. Happily, he would be left out of the dramatic shift that was to take place in the Schwarz penthouse and despite never understanding what was about to occur, he would certainly not be unaffected by it eventually.

*****

As the diminutive telekinetic was carefully creating a small miniature shrine for his lovely and deeply meaningful bouquet, the German psychic was lost in thoughts that ranged far and wide. 

Schuldich had been surprised by the brief flood of jealousy he'd felt when he saw that his youngest teammate had received flowers from an admirer, something that he himself couldn't claim despite his earlier statement that implied otherwise. Bradley Crawford wasn't a very romantic man in certain regards and had simply never even considered performing such a gesture, but the emerald-eyed man had had other lovers in the past who could easily have done so yet never did. He wondered if there was something fundamentally different about himself and his relationships from that of Nagi and whoever he had found favor with, but the concept of true love and a fated soulmate would never have occurred to him to be the explanation.

With a sigh as he tried to forget that topic as well as turning to the section on one-dish meals since he was getting tired of thinking of whether or not certain recipes would taste good together, his mind wandered to another topic. 

Even though Nagi had only been home a little more than a day, Schuldich had already noticed a marked improvement in not only the boy's energy levels and also his overall appearance. The German had been worried about whether or not the youth was showing any negative effects of whatever adventures he might have encountered during his time away from home and had been observing him more closely than normal. To the emerald-eyed man's surprise, the midnight-eyed boy's complexion seemed warmer, less wan, and after he accidentally walked in on Nagi while he was brushing his teeth after a shower, he realized he was also somewhat less bony looking than usual. Being the one who helped him when he passed out after overuse of his powers, Schuldich had had plenty of opportunities to observe his young friend's physique in the past. Even though he never thought that the excessive slenderness he'd noted was a problem since he, too, had tended towards waif-like thinness as far back as he could remember, he'd be the first to admit the telekinetic looked better now, sleeker and more healthy. 

Not certain if his observations were important or not, the redhead continued to look for a recipe yet paused and smiled as he encountered an illustration of the one he'd made the night before and had a small epiphany. 

The previous evening Schwarz had gathered together at the dining table for the first of what Schuldich hoped might be any number of new "family style" meals that he hoped might bring them together as friends as well as teammates more so than their past routines. The telepath had proudly unveiled his first attempt at classic lasagna, an Italian specialty he'd enjoyed at any number of good restaurants and it was received well. One of the things that had made the meal such a rousing success he realized in retrospect was that Nagi had actually asked for a second helping, something he couldn't recall usually happening. Granted, he usually didn't even eat dinner with the boy often in the past, but it was still noteworthy. 

The other thing about the meal that came to mind was a rather odd discussion about vitamins that crept in thanks to Farfarello making an off-the-wall comment about nutrition based on some program he'd been watching about menu-planning. In the midst of a discussion of how expensive certain nutrient-rich foods were, Nagi had slipped in a comment that daily multivitamins were a good idea for teenagers and before anyone knew it, there was an agreement from Crawford to pick some up for the two youngest members of Schwarz. At the time, Schuldich had felt rather surprised and pleased with his lover's unexpectedly generous and almost paternal response, but when he silently congratulated him on it, the American seemed distracted and simply acted like it was a non-issue. 

After correctly assuming that the raven-haired man was still preoccupied with the way he'd handled Nagi's homecoming, Schuldich tried to put the whole situation out of his mind in favor of focusing on dinner plans. However, as soon as he tried to recall if they had what he'd need to prepare a particular dish or not, he perceived a silent wave of pain from his lover and he set the cookbook aside to go see what was wrong.

Peering into the darkened bedroom, emerald eyes as bright as those of a cat noted that Crawford was laying on their bed in a rumpled pair of pajamas and staring at the ceiling sightlessly since his glasses lay on the nightstand. 

Frowning slightly since it wasn't obvious what had caused the American's distress, the slender man slipped farther into the room and called wordlessly, {{Brad? Are you all right, baby?}}

The heart wrenching response was a quiet moan and then dark brown eyes turned towards where he stood backlit by the light from the hallway and his lover reached out one atypically weak hand and asked simply, {{Would you come in and sit with me for a few minutes, Schu?}}

Concerned frown deepening considerably, the redhead closed the door behind himself and lessened any pain the light was causing and then carefully arranged himself beside the man he loved letting his body language tell Crawford that he was there and that he was worried. After tenderly reaching to massage one pained-looking temple with gentle fingertips, he asked, {{What's going on, Brad? I can't recall the last time a vision hit you this hard and, frankly, baby, this is starting to scare me.}}

Sighing as the careful, circular motions began to ease some of the tension from his facial muscles, the precog answered, {{It wasn't the initial vision that did this to me, Schu, it's been the ones after it.}} The slight relaxation he was feeling fled him, though, and he sighed more deeply and admitted, {{They've been like aftershocks following an earthquake. One after another in a seemingly endless array, I've been shown various possible futures some of which I could change and some of which I could not.}}

Frustrated by his lack of ability to aid the man he cared for who was clearly in distress, Schuldich nearly begged, {{How bad are these 'possible futures', baby? I know you don't want to tell me what you saw earlier that sent you off the deep end, but can't you at least give me a hint here? I want to help but I can't if I don't know what we're facing!}} He felt badly for possibly adding to his partner's distress but it was true that at the moment all he could do was offer relief for the symptoms without understanding their cause and the redhead wanted to do much more than that. 

Unwilling to shut out the only person who could fully understand the burden of knowing the future yet being unwilling to share what had been a shattering revelation, Crawford asked, {{How would you feel if you knew everything you cared about was going to change and not for the better yet there was nothing you could do about it?}}

Horrified, Schuldich stopped his ministrations and cursed silently then responded, {{I'd hate it, baby, but what do you *mean*?}} Getting only silence for a micro-second too long, he added desperately, {{Is one of us going to die?}} The silent inquiry carried with it an implication that by "us" the telepath meant the assassins of Schwarz not just himself and its leader, but Crawford had assumed that already. After all, they both knew it was impossible to see past one's own death and he had definitely seen past the crisis they were discussing in a round about manner.

Without answering immediately, the American let his eyes slip shut and he sighed deeply once more, the pain welling back up and flooding over him as he admitted his ignorance, {{I'm not sure. Maybe.}} His heart was in his throat as he explained, {{I keep having new and conflicting visions, love, and yet over and over, I see an emptiness forming within Schwarz that I simply can't explain for fear I'll only make it worse!}} 

{{No!! That can't be right!}} The German insisted not because it was impossible only that it was wholeheartedly unwanted. Shaking his head and causing his recently shortened hair to wave back and forth in the near darkness, he added pleadingly, {{But you said the visions are conflicting, right? So maybe they're wrong and you're misinterpreting it, right?}}

In a tone as empty and sad as any he'd ever heard from his lover before, Schuldich couldn't have been more terrified when Crawford answered, {{Not unless something drastic happens due to a force that is beyond my vision's ability to foresee, Schu.}}

Failing to pick up on the thin shred of hope that was available in that statement, the German rushed to ask fearfully, {{By 'emptiness', do you mean one of us dies or not, Brad?! And who *is* it?! *Who* is facing this horrible future you can't change, damn it?!}} The sense of panic that had started to take root in the telepath's mind had suddenly gone into full flower and his demands only caused the other man's pain to redouble.

In sheer, unrelenting hell, the American admitted his ultimate sorrow by spelling his answer out slowly and distinctly, saying aloud, "I. Do. Not. *Know*!" Agonized brown eyes flew open as he clenched his hands in his hair in frustration and fear as he cried out, "I have no idea and it could be you or Nagi or Farfarello or it could be *all* of you! And there isn't a goddamned thing in the world that I can *do* about it!!" 

Shaking his head in negation, Schuldich whispered in a terrified voice, "no, oh no. this can't be happening, not to us! we've all beaten fate in the past! it can't be true!"

Tears of anger, frustration, and disappointment in himself welled up in Crawford's eyes and he looked away in shame. He had wrestled alone all afternoon with the images of the future he'd been accosted by and despite the fact that they held a flavor of the moderately distant future as opposed to the immediate one, the precog knew this was inescapable to some extent. 

A fragment of the most commonly recurring vision came to mind, and Crawford found himself hit by a tsunami of nausea as he clearly saw one of the leaders of Estet pressing a fully loaded assault rifle into his hands and being commanded to kill one of his dearest friends. Pitching himself to one side, the usually resilient leader of Schwarz experienced the throat burning stomach acids of a classic case of the dry heaves, gasping and choking as his mind cruelly replayed over and over his own emotionless acceptance of the weapon. 

None of what he was foreseeing was making any sense and the drug-like quality of the images and the reality behind them caused the precog to mentally stumble enough to drop almost all of his mental barriers and cry out for help.

Terrified, lost, and confused himself by what was occurring along with the open torrent of thoughts and feelings from his partner, Schuldich had only a fraction of a second to make a decision as to how best to aid the one he loved. Grabbing for his shoulders and keeping him from possibly suffocating in his own bodily fluids, he yanked the man back towards himself physically even as he reached in mentally and swiftly disconnected the mind from the body so that oblivion could claim him. 

As blessed darkness swallowed Crawford's partially shattered mind, his lover screamed inside the confines of his own mind and barely suppressed a desire to cry out for Nagi to come to him to help. The one thought that stopped him from doing so was that if questioned, he didn't understand the visions either and he understood all too well the danger of releasing information that could change an already bad future and possibly make it worse.

As he cradled his now silent partner against him and rocked back and forth like a small child attempting to comfort himself, Schuldich cursed the forces of fate that were conspiring against all of them yet again. Wasn't it bad enough that each of the members of Schwarz had lost their original families through various tragedies? Why should they now also face the probable loss of at least one if not more of those they considered brothers?

Scorching hot tears trailed from emerald eyes as the German telepath sat in the near darkness not alone and yet terribly lonely as he waited, watched, and wondered what would become of them all. Sadly, he would be denied an answer and his beloved partner would remain apart from him for all intents and purposes until nearly midnight. 

By the time he reawakened, Bradley Crawford would be relieved of many of the worst images as his mind carefully concealed that which would destroy it. Despite his partner's fearful questions and continued concerns, the dark images would fade further and it wouldn't be until after the cherry blossoms had bloomed and faded before even a small fraction of the truth about the visions was revealed.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] The details of the discussion between the American and Japanese members of Schwarz with silent kibitzing by the German one will be presented later in a side-story entitled "Crawford's Dilemma" since so many readers wanted to know what happened at the end of Part 51. I hope this is welcome news for some of you since it also means you won't have to wait until "Power Failure" for another major Schwarz scene.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 56 & 57 will be posted together. 

As a continuation of last night's theme, this posting run is *also* dedicated to all those who welcomed the world of "Cold November Rain" back into their lives after Parts 52 and 53 appeared.

{repeats his weird circular dance since he's *still* chained to his computer}

Last night I saluted my fanfiction.net reviewers in detail and tonight I wished to do the same for the wonderful people who contacted me directly at SFSDincher@aol.com so I would know that they were enjoying the show, too! *But* it took me three times longer to edit these exceptionally long Parts than I thought it would and I'm too tired to do all those wonderful people justice *and* deal with that important issue I promised you earlier. Since peace of mind begins with knowledge, I decided to go with talking about death tonight and will plan to spend time tomorrow chatting about more wonderful friends who encourage me via email and I hope this is an acceptable solution for everyone.

{smiles warmly, gets out a Soap Box and instead of standing on it, he sits on the edge and proceeds to make promises that he intends to keep and gives a few warnings along the way all in the hopes of making his readers happy}

Last night, I got a heartfelt note from Issini who was extremely concerned about a few foreshadowing events and her words echoed some I'd heard before and I decided it was time to set the record straight on my policy regarding unlabeled deathfics and/or arcs that include character death. I'm especially glad that I'm covering this now, though, since the ending of Part 57 might otherwise rip a few people's hearts out so badly they might give up on the story entirely without hearing this.

Before I start ranting, please let me explain that I do indeed believe there is a place for the use of the death of a series character in fanfiction as exemplified by any number of excellent deathfics. The loss of life can be transformative not only for the soul that has left one reality for another unknown one, but actually much more so for those who are left behind. However, I consider it the writer's responsibility to warn their readers of this *before* they start releasing the story to the public. Real Life is angsty enough as it is and many people myself included only rarely have the stomach for an all-out deathfic. Therefore, I feel there's no need to get emotionally invested in a story just to have a character suddenly killed simply for the shock value of it. I apologize if I step on anyone's toes for saying this, but the excuse that the writer either [a] "didn't know where the plot would go so it's as much of a surprise to them as it is to the readers" OR [b] "it was supposed to be a surprise" do *not* grant them amnesty from this rule. 

{stops preaching then says what he plans to do}

Let me restate the key question as it applies to "Cold November Rain" and its side-stories and epilogues: Does anyone from the series die in this story or not? The answer is easy: Absolutely not! Not in this story and not in any of the future ones in this continuity, I hereby give you my word.

{holds hand up as if giving an oath before a judge and means it as seriously as if this was a courtroom}

The entire "Redirecting Destiny" continuity can be considered a "deathfic free zone" as far as the series characters are concerned and it was planned to be this way from the very beginning since this is the way I like to write and my readers seem to enjoy as well. As stated above, I believe that death has its place in fanfiction but I do not allow it to take anyone for long in any of my arcs unless absolutely unavoidable and then there would be a warning from the start of the fic in which it occurred. The first time I was planning on including this was in "The Gifts Arc" for GW which was to eventually include the death of a certain OZ leader, but that's another set of issues and that story was never even written anyway. 

I do, however, allow brief "clinical" deaths as you have already seen and may very well see again. Technically, Ken died during surgery if you recall and that is as far as I allow it to go in an arc like this one. In 2000, I wrote a series of six lengthy for the time GW stories called "The Secrets Arc" where several characters died briefly yet in the end, the series characters were all alive, fairly healthy for the most part, and extremely happy. Since then, that series is what I hear over and over is one of my fans' favorite stories and so I stick to that approach.

However, this raises another matter, that of the handling of original characters. 

I became disturbed over whether or not CNR was a "deathfic" when I killed Sokoke, but after polling a significant number of outstanding fanfiction writers, we agreed that label only applied if a *series* character was killed, *not* an original one which I as copyright holder have total control over. Yes, this means all my OC's are technically at risk throughout the continuity and this may become a serious problem someday, but I shall always think it through carefully before deciding to send one them to the great beyond and I hope that if it happens again you will mourn with me for them. 

{scowls, realizes there's an exception to that last request and comments}

Um, but no mourning for Calico when he finally dies at the end of Aya's katana in the "Untitled Armageddon Confrontation Book", though. No, when *that* little bastard dies, we will *all* celebrate wildly since I know for a fact quite a few of the characters in the story will be in no condition to do so. But that's a digression as well as a promise, let me get back on topic. 

Allow me to reiterate: I absolutely promise not to kill *any* characters from the original series. None of the Weiss kittens will die. None of the Schwarz psychics will die. None of the very few remaining series characters that I'm using will die, not even Ouka or Momoe, for that matter will die! After all, even if any of them *did* die in the series, something I won't mention due to my no spoilers policy, they're going to survive here one way or another!

{smiles hopefully and then shows examples of what he *does* plan to do and how he's done things like this in the past}

I will be maiming one of the series characters much later in the continuity and seriously wounding as well as radically changing another very soon, but *none* of them will die. They might *wish* I let them die at a few points, but they'll recover to one extent or another over time. For example, in "The Secrets Arc" by the time the dust had settled, one of the G-Boys had to have a heart transplant, another lost an eye, while a third was the victim of a gang rape. However, paradoxical as it sounds, they were all totally content with their fates and these challenges simply reminded them that truth and life were precious as was the love of both friends and romantic partners. 

One detail about me that this brings forth that I might as well mention now that I've sermonized about it *and* it seems that I share this trait with many of my readers: I happen to believe in ultimately happy endings. Usually, this means plenty of angst, tears, blood, and sorrow followed by my characters being older, wiser, and physically scarred yet quite happy to be alive all the same. I prefer to read stories that end with at least contentment if at all possible and rarely write anything less unless it's a fic I wrote to recover from my own pain and if so, it will be heavily warned and strongly rated. A good example of this is "ResCUe mE!" which is one of my darkest, most heart-wrenching pieces yet it's clearly labeled and readers are strongly cautioned before facing it. Come to think of it, though, that one *too* has a happy ending of sorts so I guess I'm more consistent than I thought.

{tries to tie up a few loose ends and close this. it's late, this is too long, and the llama needs to take Lauren to the dentist for an 8am appointment in a couple of hours. sigh. see where the kid who got balloons came from? the llama hopes *he's* as lucky as that mom was in the fic!}

Now, you all may be starting to wonder why all the dark scary foreshadowing is included if I'm promising not to kill anyone. Well, as I mentioned above, there are times when a person may believe that what he or she is facing is a "fate worse than death" *and* there's the simple fact that the characters have no idea they aren't going to die. In other words, much as Yohji was afraid that he meant nothing more to Aya than a distraction even though we all know that isn't the case, Crawford and Schuldich certainly haven't got a clue that the "hole" Brad's vision showed him forming in Schwarz is *not* someone's death. Granted, I'm not telling who may be leaving, how they depart, in what medical condition, or why they are gone, right now, but that entire scene was based on snapshots from the upcoming "Power Failure". 

{pauses to take a bow for his titles since at least one kind friend mentioned liking them! believe it or not, the llama thinks up these things all by his lonesome so it's nice to know they're enjoyed}

Now that I have rambled way too long and feel as if I've been attending the Mojo Jojo™ School of Redundancy for repeating myself so much just to be sure it's crystal clear, may I ask for a favor? Could you please let me know if this put your mind to rest or if you're annoyed that I just cut a main angst-element out entirely that you preferred to think might hit later? Just a line or two at fanfiction.net or sent directly would be great unless of course I just made you *really* angry and the urge to flame has claimed you. *Those* I'd rather not see, but since everyone reading this is so nice already, I'm not too worried about it at this point. 

Special thanks again to Issini [issini@hotmail.com] for helping me to stop and go into this in detail. I promise to keep my detailed warnings lists and flags available for the entire continuity as well as *all* my fanfiction the way I have since the very beginning! In the meantime, I hope that those of you who enjoy watching bishounen suffer even if they will survive their ordeals eventually will stick with me whenever Angst Theatre opens its doors with more of the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity! 

Good Night!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who mentions that he was *thrilled* to see there's already interest in Gelb and feels yet again that he is terribly lucky to have such faithful readers who are accepting of still more OC's since Persia never did bother to establish more than one team in the series, {sighs and wonders if there wasn't a Calico-like character running around behind the scenes in the show making the bearded man a bit hard to work with there, too, then vanishes into the night… er, uh, morning?})

Posted 24 April 2002, ~5:00am


	58. Time Passes and Things Improve

Greetings and welcome to the penultimate performance of "Cold November Rain" here at the Angst Theatre! 

Believe it or not, there's only one more posting run after this one to complete the Angst-Epic-from-Hell that I once feared would never end! Unfortunately, that last night probably won't be tomorrow due to the fact that I've got an engagement with my daughter's science teacher to guest lecture on the field of genetic engineering all day Thursday. 

{pauses and scratches head in confusion. yes, once upon a time--for almost 15 years actually--the llama was actually a well-respected geneticist with patents and stuff, but he set it aside over five years ago and has deliberately wiped most of those bad memories from his tiny mind in favor of anime and writing. what the hell does he think he's going to talk to those kids about?! oh well, he'll figure it out later, now's the time for talking about the end of CNR instead!}

Sadly, I expect to be too wiped out to be able to edit the last three positively *huge* Parts appropriately after spending the day with the kids since I'm operating on five hours of sleep now and expect none at all before leaving for the middle school relatively soon. So please forgive me in advance if you have to wait an extra night for the exciting ending of the scene which begins in Part 59, I'm sure you'll be curious to know what happens next, but I promise the wait will be worth it! 

{smiles knowingly then puts on Vicious' tuxedo for the next to the last time for awhile then flips on the marquee lights and hands you a playbill with an eager smile since tonight's Parts are jam-packed with plot developments and glimmers of fics to come!}

Our performance opens in Part 58 wherein two weeks have elapsed since Ken was shot and many things have changed as evidenced by the discussions he has with a series of welcome visitors to his hospital room. The scene continues in Part 59 as exceptionally good news is shared, celebrated, and acted upon by the men of Weiss leading to the most dramatic change in circumstances Siberian has experienced in far too long!

{beams delightedly and silently points out there aren't any warning flags on display even as he feels glad that the ones offered last night were helpful especially to all those who felt Brad and Schu's pain all too keenly and then the llama invites you to--} 

Enjoy the Slightly Lower Angst! 

~~~Enigma~~~

(who is beside himself with glee over three things! first, the readers adore Lorlor as much as he does and that's a huge relief since she's so special even if she is a bit of a smart-aleck! second, he's astounded that the review count jumped yet again and pulled a Clark Kent by soaring past the 450 mark without a thought today thanks to Midori catching up fully on the fic! {huggles Midori gratefully} third and best of all: the readers have made it abundantly clear that the lengthy end-note on the presence of character death in the entire continuity was well-time and greatly appreciated thereby assuaging his irrational fears to the contrary! {bows gratefully then hushes up and lets the fic speak for itself})

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 58/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 14. time: 0930-1000 hours. ++ 

***** 

On a sunny late November morning in Tokyo, a full two weeks after having been nearly shot to death, the Weiss assassin codenamed Siberian found himself doing something he was becoming rather too good at lately: complaining.

"But I want to go *home*, Javanese!" Ken stated emphatically, gesturing with his free hand and explaining, "I can be careful with the cast and the bandages on my leg, really I can! Hell, I can lay in bed there just as easily as I can here and then the guys can get back to running the shop full time and stuff!"

The Kritiker nurse shook her head slowly and successfully hid the smile that was trying to break loose as her star patient continued to plead for his freedom. She knew that the brunette's wish was to be granted before too much longer, but it wasn't her place to say so. 

Instead of letting on that change was on its way, the dark-haired woman asked, "What makes you so sure that you're in any shape to be allowed outside a hospital, Siberian?" Adding a frown she didn't truly feel, she amended warningly, "After all, we still haven't gotten the results of the blood tests Norwegian requested a few days ago. Granted, he's been awfully busy at KMC lately and we've hardly seen much of him, but those results are quite important to determining how well you're progressing which in turn determines when you'll be discharged."

Sighing in frustration and running his unencumbered right hand through messy brown hair, the nineteen year old answered somewhat sheepishly, "I know, Javanese, but I've been staring at the same walls for over a week now and it's *boring* in here!" The small pout on his face was rather too adorable as he answered her first question, saying, "As for why I think I'm ready to leave, well, my energy levels seem back to normal and I'm already an expert on the cane Hideo brought to me yesterday. Hell, I practically circled the whole sixth floor with it this morning out of sheer boredom! I'd say that qualifies me to be up and around, right?"

Scowling, she recalled that Ken's unauthorized stroll at 7am had an almost disastrous ending when he'd encountered a patch of damp floor where an orderly had been mopping but the cautionary sign hadn't been obvious. When the rubber tip of the cane had hit the slick surface, it slipped out from under him entirely. If it hadn't been for the quick reflexes of one of the interns who was doing rounds and grabbed him mid-fall, the chocolate-eyed man would've undoubtedly landed hard and possibly done himself a significant amount of new damage. The numerous crisscrossing layers of sutures that had been carefully installed so that the badly shredded flesh of his thigh muscle might rebuild itself could easily have all been torn asunder in an accident like that and it would've meant a tremendous blow to his health and happiness. 

With a stern expression on her face, Javanese commented flatly, "I seriously doubt that you will be allowed to go anywhere much less home if you can't be more careful using that cane, Siberian!" Wagging a finger in his face as if he was an errant child instead of a deadly killer, she added, "And another thing! How could we be sure you'd really stay in bed if you were allowed to go back to the flowershop? I dare say that you'd more likely be found wandering around bored and looking for something to do instead of getting the rest you need. No, I think that this is the best place for you right now, young man!" 

The maternal attitude she was displaying was more pronounced than usual and if she'd been asked, Javanese probably couldn't have explained it fully. For the most part, it was a derivation of her long-standing fondness for the four young men of Weiss yet there was something more involved. Ever since the untimely death of Sokoke, a young woman she'd barely gotten to know, the Kritiker nurse had felt a need to be more protective of the souls in her care and hence she let her motherly instincts come to the fore.

So busy feeling sorry for himself that he failed to note that he had a new visitor at the door, Ken groaned and sank back against his pillows wreathed in an air of discontent that was almost palpable. 

A quiet chuckle interrupted the sudden uncomfortable silence that had developed after Javanese had basically chewed Ken out like a schoolboy. 

When the former athlete glanced up, he was glad to see the friendly face of the surgeon who had helped save his life a half-month prior and he greeted him cheerfully, saying, "Hello, Dr. Egami!" The physician smiled and stepped into the room as he added, "How was the vacation with your family?"

A bright smile spread across the doctor's face and he answered, "It was quite pleasant, Ken. I met my son, daughter-in-law, and four year old granddaughter on Okinawa and we enjoyed playing tourist for a week." The smile on the salt-and-pepper-haired man's face was filled with fond remembrance as he mentioned, "Seeing my darling Atsuko-chan's face light up when we went to the aquarium there was like watching the sun dance across a field of flowers."

Pleased that someone who worked so hard to aid those in desperate need had enjoyed a well earned break, Ken smiled and said, "That sounds great, doctor." As it occurred to him that he had no idea what the man was doing visiting him, the chocolate-eyed teen asked, "So what brings you all the way to the sixth floor? Don't they need you downstairs this morning?"

Egami merely smiled more and stuck his hands in the pockets of his pristine surgical scrubs before shrugging and admitting, "Happily, things in the ER are slow today and I thought I'd check on my patients that were still here recovering. I just wanted to make sure that all was going according to schedule for you." The small, secretive smile he shared with the nurse was missed entirely by the youth who was briefly distracted by contemplating if he should petition for his release to a member of the Tokyo General staff directly or not. 

Deciding it would be fruitless to ask for what Egami couldn't grant, Ken offered truthfully, "I feel great! During the last few days they finally stopped sticking IVs in me 24/7and that was a big relief especially since they let me start having more to eat, too! I was able to start using a wheelchair five days ago after they discontinued the oxygen supplementation and my friends and I have explored pretty much this whole place since then." The smile on his face was open and honest the way it usually was as he found he couldn't keep from adding, "I'm so much better, in fact, that I can't see any good reason for me to stay here any more, doctor! I can rest at home just as easily as I can here and then someone else can have this room instead of me."

Glancing around at the profusion of brightly-colored, handmade cards from the neighborhood children that danced across the walls so thickly one barely saw any white paint, the doctor realized beyond a shadow of a doubt that his patient was adored by many more people than those he'd met so far. Before he could comment on the cards, though, his eyes were drawn to the resplendent Venetian vase that stood proudly in the window currently filled to overflowing with a veritable rainbow of gentians, a symbol of the abiding love his teammates felt for him. A few other smaller bouquets were dotted around the room as well, the inevitable expressions of hope for good health from some of the fangirls and a few of the Kritiker personnel Ken had worked most closely with over the years. 

Amazed by the wonderful show of support from those that cared about the man in the bed, Egami turned towards his patient and asked, "Is it safe to presume that all of the people who've sent their wishes to you this way are eager to have you return home, Ken?" Giving the teen a measuring glance, he added, "Are you sure that they wouldn't mind being called upon to assist you the way that the nursing staff here does so often in the course of a day?"

Chocolate eyes blinked in surprise for a moment as the teen processed a question he thought was rather self-evident and then he nodded slowly and said confidently, "I'm sure of it, doctor." With a small sigh of discontent he added quietly, "This is certainly *not* the first time one of us came home a partial invalid for a few weeks. We know the drill."

"Perhaps," the physician agreed then shrugged and said, "Well, it's not my decision, Ken, but if Norwegian should ask my opinion, I'll tell him that I'd at least consider releasing you some time fairly soon."

"'Fairly soon'?" Ken asked eagerly, missing Javanese's annoyed glance at the emergency room surgeon, afraid he'd said too much. Sitting up attentively as if he didn't wish to miss a single word that might be spoken, he pleaded in near desperation, "When might that be? Today? Tomorrow? By the end of the week?"

Well aware of the truth of the matter plus not wishing to incur the nurse's wrath, the much older man shrugged his shoulders and answered, "I certainly am not the one to say, Ken, but I'd say sometime before the end of the month would be a safe bet."

Groaning in disappointment and letting himself flop back down onto his pillows as carefully as possible to avoid jostling his slowly healing compound fracture, the brunette closed his eyes and silently cursed his fate even as the other two people in the room gave each other smiles. Every once in awhile, even a doctor and a nurse enjoyed playing a good practical joke on a patient, especially one they'd grown so very fond of.

Before Ken could sink back into a sea of misery and unhappiness, he heard a most welcome sound and popped his eyes back open in time to see all three of his teammates enter his room even as Omi laughed at some random comment of Yohji's. 

Beaming with delight since he hadn't seen all three of them at the same time in over a week, Ken greeted them cheerfully saying, "Hey guys! What brings you all here?"

Smirking as he sauntered towards the younger of his two lovers, the jade-eyed man gave his first love an expressive roll of the eyes as he answered dryly, "Why, my *car* brought us here, Kenken! What a silly question!" He bent to press a kiss to the teen's lips openly not caring about those around them and then he added more lovingly, "But it was a 'silly question' from a *very* handsome man, so I don't mind answering it!"

Not much more patient than his elder partner, Aya gladly accepted the gesture Yohji made with a sweep of one elegant hand when he stepped aside and saw a suntanned hand reaching for the scarlet-haired man. With what had once been an uncharacteristic show of raw emotion, Aya wrapped a pale hand around the back of Ken's head and pulled the younger assassin close, kissing him firmly to restate his love in the method they'd come to enjoy recently. 

Not embarrassed by the public displays of affection yet wishing to grant the four young men some privacy, both Javanese and Egami quietly exited the room without interrupting the greetings being exchanged.

As soon as Aya straightened and gave him a little room, their youngest teammate dashed in and gave Ken a quick hug and then granted him a vision of sheer genki delight as Omi asked hopefully, "How are you feeling, Ken-kun? Are you doing better than you were when I saw you three days ago?" Suddenly nervous because he felt badly for his absence, he wrung his hands together slightly and added, "Um, I'm really sorry about being gone like that, but I had trouble getting my term paper for history class finished on time and had to work on it a lot."

Simply glad to have those he cared most about close to him again, Ken smiled at all three in turn and said, "That's okay, Omi, I understand. School's important and I'm glad you're getting caught up on your classwork after missing so much time because of me." Before anyone could complain that it wasn't Ken's fault that things were the way they were, a pointless argument to be certain that was best left alone, he added with slight sadness, "You want to know something weird? After everything we've been through recently, I can't get used to seeing all three of you without Nagi being around, too. How's he doing, Omi? Last thing I knew, he slipped you an email from school saying he was doing pretty good, right?"

Omi's earlier bright smile was immediately eclipsed when the topic turned to the boy he adored and with a radiance that rivaled that of a high-powered searchlight, he answered eagerly, "Oh, he's doing *great*, Ken-kun!! I got another message from him yesterday and he said that everything settled down at home right away after he got back." A slight frown crossed gentle features as he mentioned, "There was something that shook Crawford up pretty badly a day after Nagi got home that made things kind of tense for a few days, but once they got over it everything was okay again and he says he's happy. Well, as happy as he ever is when we aren't together, I guess, but he's still glad to be home."

Aya's snort of disagreement went unheard where he leaned against the wall by the head of Ken's bed, arms crossed over his chest in his usual closed-off stance. There was no desire to shut out those around him, yet whenever the topic of conversation turned to the petite sable-haired boy who triggered strong yet unclear emotions within him, he felt ill at ease. After wrestling with his own inner demons a time or two, though, he had chosen not to speak of his feelings with those around him, preferring to wait and see what happened before possibly making a commitment he might not be able to keep later.

Not wishing to distract them all from the real reason they had gathered together, Yohji commented hopefully, "Well, as long as we know that Nagi's doing okay and that his, um, uh, 'family' isn't hurting him, then we'll have to be content with what we've got, right, Omiitchi?" 

Shrugging since he didn't have as much of a problem with Nagi being surrounded by the members of Schwarz as his teammates apparently did, the younger blond responded, "Yeah, I think so, Yohji-kun." As recollection hit, his smile returned and then he said, "Oh, and Ken-kun? Nagi-love asked me to give you a message. Would you like to hear it?"

Blinking chocolate eyes in surprise, amazed that the diminutive telekinetic considered him important enough to send a message to when his computer time was limited, the nineteen year old said, "Yeah, sure, Omi. What'd he want me to know?"

His dazzling smile became even brighter as Omi enthusiastically shared what was welcome news for all of them, "Nagi said that Schuldich's been doing a lot of the cooking lately and that's meant there's been a bunch more stuff around to eat. He said it's still hard to remind himself to eat more, but he's trying. Oh, and he got some vitamins, too!" The younger teen paused and giggled slightly and added, "He says that he makes Farfarello take them, too, isn't that cute? I think they must be having some fun with this and Nagi-love says this is all because you, Yohji-kun, and Aya-kun were so worried about it! Isn't that great?"

Unable to suppress an answering smile, Ken beamed in return and said, "That's absolutely fabulous, Omi! I think that *you* deserve a lot of the credit, though, but as long as Nagi's eating better, I think that's some of the best news I've heard in ages!"

Surprised by the news that Omi had waited to share with them since his boyfriend had specifically asked that Ken be told about it, both the jade- and violet-eyed men looked stunned by what might have been a small piece of news to any other group of people. 

Then Yohji shook himself free of his momentary freeze and moved to run a hand playfully through Omi's hair, mussing it and remarking, "That's *super*, bishounen!! I hope it's making a big difference for him!"

Remaining where he was propped against the wall, the Weiss swordsman kept his own council regarding this piece of information. While he thought it was a step in the right direction by all means, there was an unspoken limitation present in the announcement that he alone found troubling. When Omi specifically said that the increase in food availability was connected to Schuldich's cooking efforts, Aya immediately and correctly began to wonder what would happen if the redhead became disenchanted with playing at being a chef or had to leave the penthouse for an extended period of time. Unlike Weiss, Schwarz didn't hesitate to take assignments in distant cities and they knew from experience that the telepath was almost always involved in those which caused him to be away from home for as much as weeks at a time.

Wisely keeping his dark thoughts to himself, Aya merely offered his youngest teammate a silent nod and one of his hidden yet encouraging smiles and left it at that.

Omi was thoroughly delighted with having surprised everyone with his news and despite playfully batting at Yohji's hands as if to stop him from messing up his hair--something he didn't really mind at all, it was such a caring gesture--he answered, "Well, I thought it was great, too! But I told him not to think of that as an excuse not to come over for dinner with us sometime!" He sighed happily and commented wistfully, "I don't know if he'll be able to meet me anytime soon or not, but maybe by Christmas he'll be allowed to have a little more freedom and we can see each other again. I really *do* miss him an awful lot."

Converting from teasing to comforting in a flash, Yohji wrapped a warm arm around his young friend's shoulders and gave Omi an encouraging squeeze and said confidently, "I'm sure he misses you, too, bishounen, and I'll bet you're right. By the time the shop is wall-to-wall holly, berries, and mistletoe, you two will be together again!" Realizing he had a chance to tease the suddenly unhappy youth in his arm, he switched tactics entirely and asked slyly, "Hey, Aya? When do we have to put together the order for the mistletoe, anyway? Maybe we can get enough to cover the ceiling in Omiitchi's room and it'll act like a magnet to draw Nagi over to the Koneko?"

As Ken snickered openly and Omi blushed brightly, amethyst eyes rolled in annoyance and the scarlet-haired man refused to dignify the innuendo-laden comment with a response.

Not surprised that the elder of his two lovers was back to being somewhat cold and aloof after having to deal with the fangirls at the Koneko on a regular basis, Yohji ignored the lack of response and asked, "So, Kenken, you never answered Omiitchi's question earlier. How are you feeling today, baby?" With an adoring smile he added, "You *look* fantastic, of course, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm terribly biased when it comes to either you or Aya." He slid a sidelong glance at the irritated scarlet-haired man who gave him a glare in response which softened slightly into a hidden smile before Yohji returned his attention to their brunette partner.

The former soccer player shrugged and answered, "I feel great, Yohji! My arm doesn't ache as badly as it did before and I hardly notice the bandage on my thigh except for when I want to get up and walk around. My chest stopped hurting days ago and everything else seems to be doing good, too." He paused and frowned slightly before adding, "But I want to go *home*! I miss seeing you guys all the time and being around the flowers in the shop and the neighborhood kids and everything!"

Omi laughed softly and asked, "Are you sure you aren't just mad that your TV here doesn't get the international sports channels, Ken-kun?"

Ken smirked helplessly deeply touched that his friends knew him so well and admitted, "Yeah, that might be part of it considering the Australian soccer leagues will be playing exhibition games during the next two weeks, but mostly I just miss being at home." With an uncharacteristic sigh, he added, "I even kind of miss doing the laundry. Pathetic, aren't I?"

"Not at all, Ken-love," Yohji encouraged gently, moving to sit beside his troubled lover and wishing he could do more than say simply, "we miss you, too, you know. And as soon as Norwegian decides you can come home, you can bet we'll be more than glad to whisk you away from here and see to it that you get to stare at all the sports stuff your little heart desires. Unfortunately, you won't be allowed to do the laundry, though. Omiitchi's decided he loves doing it too much to let you have it back." He smirked at their young friend who simply giggled and nodded, hoping to lighten Ken's mood once more.

Looking slightly mollified, the brunette nodded silent agreement then glanced questioningly at the violet-eyed man who had been far too quiet during the discussion and was about to ask what was bothering Aya, when a newcomer arrived tapping at the doorframe and entering immediately.

Norwegian was atypically scowling at a clipboard in his hands and seemed to radiate disappointment and annoyance as he walked in and gave the four members of Weiss a simple greeting, "Good morning, boys."

Suddenly nervous since the usually jovial man he'd known for years rarely acted this way, Omi stepped towards the Kritiker physician and answered tentatively, "Um, good morning, Norwegian. Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so, Bombay," the portly man agreed and continued to frown at the papers in front of him.

Spines straightening as he and Yohji both moved to stand as if at attention fearing the news that they would undoubtedly have to face regardless of their trepidation, the field-leader of Weiss clenched his fists and demanded icily, "What is it, Norwegian? Is it about Ken?"

Stepping into the room and standing behind the doctor with her arms crossed over her chest angrily, Manx answered the question flatly, "Yes, it *is* about Siberian, Abyssinian, and it will affect *all* of you."

With jade eyes narrowed dangerously, Yohji ignored the normal chain of command to demand, "What the fuck's going on here? Manx, what's the problem?"

With one pencil thin red eyebrow raised, the woman looked unimpressed and said simply, "Balinese, we're here to ask you to leave." After giving him a glare, she looked first at Aya then over to Omi and amended, "Actually, we're going to have to ask you *all* to leave!" 

The mood in the room was brittle and emotionally charged. Four young men stared at one another in confusion, fear, and anger, even as the two elder Kritiker operatives merely regarded them with serious expressions and waited for one of them to break the silence.

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 58 & 59 will be posted together. 


	59. Wonderful News and Heartfelt Festivities

Title: Cold November Rain [part 59/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 14. time: 1000-1430 hours. ++ 

***** 

"What the hell are you talking about, Manx?!" Abyssinian snarled coldly, speaking on behalf of all of them as the initial shock caused by the strange situation wore off.

Before the firestorm of emotions could build farther, Norwegian suddenly grinned broadly and turned the clipboard around so that they could see that the top sheet was a release form that indicated that Ken was going to be allowed to go home that very day and he announced happily, "See? She's right, you're *all* going to have to leave!"

The first to recover his composure after the truth was revealed was, predictably, Omi and the genki teen rushed to hug Ken and he proclaimed, "Isn't that great, Ken-kun?" 

The brunette regarded him with a somewhat stunned expression on his face and then he began to smile as he patted the boy on the back and said, "Yeah, Omi, that's really terrific news."

Having heard their cue when Norwegian had made the happy announcement that their patient had been granted his freedom after all, Okazaki entered the room with a somewhat embarrassed expression carrying the elegantly boxed cake that Manx had brought for a celebration. The shy man held the package in both hands deferentially as Javanese followed, smirking brightly and carrying cutlery and plates even as Dr. Egami reappeared, too.

Shaking his head in amazement since he'd never known the Kritiker physician to play practical jokes of any sort, Yohji remarked in surprise, "I never would've believed it, but you can be a sadistic bastard when you want to be, Norwegian!" Stepping forward and clapping the much older man on the shoulder in congratulations, he added, "That's one helluva way to tell a patient he's doing a lot better, though."

Not amused in the least, the Weiss field-leader had to make an effort to calm his raging blood pressure and Aya growled, "Well, *I* certainly don't think that was funny in the least, Norwegian!" Glancing at Ken and seeing the radiant smile of anticipation of an impending homecoming, he relaxed his battle stance and accused, "But since this was obviously an orchestrated assault, I doubt that *you* are actually the one in charge of such a cruel joke. Or am I wrong, *Manx*?" Icy violet eyes glared at the other redhead in the room in clear accusation.

The woman was not repentant in the least, however, and she flipped a thick crimson curl over one shoulder as she replied, "Oh, I'm more than happy to take the blame for this one, Abyssinian." Turning to where the two nurses were setting things up on a small table, she added, "But since I went all the way across the city to pick up Ken's favorite cake from that pastry shop he likes so much, I doubt that *he's* angry with me. And *he's* the one who matters the most right now, isn't he, *Aya*?" Her pointed use of both of his names alerted the Weiss swordsman that she thought he needed to back-off and remember that they all had the brunette's best interests at heart.

Chocolate eyes went wide and it was obvious that the claw-wielding assassin was indeed responding favorably to the bizarre turn of events and Ken asked eagerly, "You took the time to go over to Cream just for *me*, Manx?" [1] 

Omi, too, had gained a look of anticipatory delight as he peered into the newly opened box and uttered, "Oh, yumm! I haven't had Mocha Almond Torte in *such* a long time! This is a great surprise, Manx!" Despite his enthusiasm for the decadent dessert they were about to share, he turned towards the portly physician and asked, "But there's something I don't understand, Norwegian. When I asked you if there was 'bad news', you said 'yes'. What did you mean? This seems like only good news to me." The expression of confusion on his gentle face was open and honest, his sense of brotherly love for the other teenaged member of Weiss overshadowing his sudden desire for marzipan and coffee-flavored chocolate.

Smiling in his usual jovial manner that made everyone feel more relaxed and reassured, the gray-eyed man chortled merrily and said, "Well, Bombay, we've all enjoyed seeing you four so much lately and now that Siberian is headed home, Javanese, Hideo, and I will all miss you, that's all."

"Oh, I see," the cerulean-eyed teen nodded. Then he frowned as a certain ebony-skinned nurse's image came to mind since he would have been with them at that point otherwise, and the young blond asked worriedly, "Have you heard anything from Korat lately? I just realized that no one's said anything about him since before I went back to school last week. Is he still looking for his sister?"

The ill-timed question caused all those assembled other than Egami who had been unaware of reason why one of the Kritiker nurses had been removed from the brunette's treatment team to lose some of their glow of happiness. 

Norwegian glanced at Manx and then back to cerulean-eyed teen and answered sadly, "I'm afraid that his search hasn't been successful so far, Omi." The fact that he switched to the boy's given name was a signal to most of those listening that this was a more personal matter than one that pertained to Kritiker. 

Yohji frowned darkly, concerned about Monique's continued absence not only because he valued her brother's friendship but also because he had found the quirky girl truly unusual in the often too uniform society they lived in and had developed a grudging affection for her. Wishing he could offer to go and help search yet knowing his place was here beside his lovers and teammate, he forced himself to try not to worry over it and said nothing. 

Neither Ken nor Aya missed the serious expression which had flickered over the elegant features of their jade-eyed partner, they knew what he was most likely thinking about and they didn't wish to interfere even though they both wished that they could assist in some small way. 

Distracted by thoughts of those absent from their group, Omi thought about how much it had hurt when Sokoke died. The lingering questions about the secretary-cum-chef's death remained unanswered to the best of his knowledge. Not wishing to darken the previously festive mood further by asking about it, though, he chose instead to change the subject by asking, "If Ken-kun is getting to go home today, does this mean you got some good results on his most recent kidney function tests, Norwegian?"

Chuckling happily once more as he flipped through a few pages of computer print-outs that included the extensive blood work that had been analyzed at Kritiker Medical Center, the rotund doctor proudly pronounced, "Why yes there most certainly is, my boy! In fact, we've been keeping a close eye on renal capacity and it's gone from a mere 5% a week ago to over 35% now." With a cautionary gesture he explained, "Unfortunately, that isn't enough for you to not come to KMC twice a week for dialysis until further notice, Siberian. However, as long as it continues to improve at this rate, you are most likely looking at seeing a full recovery of kidney function by the end of the year."

"Really?! That's *great*!!" Ken exclaimed delightedly, shocked by the sudden good news since the results of his previous tests had been a closely guarded secret for fear that his only remaining kidney might fail and leave him facing a worse fate. 

While Norwegian nodded affirmatively, Omi was semi-quietly going berserk hugging Okazaki and Javanese, thanking them for the their efforts as well as celebrating something far more personal which he revealed by enthusing, "I can't *wait* to tell Nagi-love about this!! He was *so* worried about this since it reminded him of that school friend of his that died of kidney failure and all!" His glomp attack continued as he embraced Norwegian and then peered up at him and asked, "But what about the spinal injury and the rest of it? Is there really *nothing* left unresolved that might cause Ken-kun trouble later, Norwegian?"

Chuckling delightedly and returning the warm embrace firmly, the gray-eyed man answered with a happy shake of the head, "There's nothing left that we know about, Omi." Glancing at the man in the bed who had been receiving congratulatory kisses from both of his lovers, he added, "I really can't explain it, but Siberian has beaten the odds yet again! As long as nothing new goes awry *and* he follows doctor's orders for rest, medication, and physical therapy later, he should be good as new in time for the Spring soccer season with the children he has mentioned so often."

Catching the clear warning in the doctor's tone, Aya gazed at Yohji for a moment. After the blond gave a firm nod and a smile, the scarlet-haired man stated flatly, "You can be assured that Ken will follow your orders to the letter, Norwegian. Balinese and I *both* give you our word on that!" 

As always, the violet-eyed man meant every word he said and then some, a fact that would eventually lead Ken to feel confined and overprotected by both of his partners. However, it would be a welcome sensation that would leave behind a cherished memory which would give them all strength during a time of terrible stress and uncertainty yet to come.

"Ah, excellent!" The doctor smiled and nodded even as he glanced at Omi who looked just as committed to the proposition of aiding his dear friend to regain his health and then commented, "That's exactly what I was hoping for. If he had anyone less deeply devoted to him than you three, Abyssinian, I would've been inclined to keep him here for another week or so of observation. However, since I'm not afraid of making house calls to the flowershop if I have to *and* I know that he has such an outstanding support network, I felt it was worth the risk."

After being quiet for a fair amount of time, Manx chose that moment to speak up and she added firmly, "I couldn't agree more, Norwegian. Even though they're now on inactive status, I fully intend to drop by the Koneko from time to time myself and anything the boys need I'll be glad to see that they get. Now, however," she caught a hand gesture from her old college friend and smiled before adding, "I think that Javanese is hungry for some of the cake she and Hideo have been slicing up. Shall we celebrate or are there more issues to cover, doctor?"

Casting a clearly hungry glance at the decadent dessert which only now revealed its inner secret of a thick gooey layer of dark chocolate mousse which was covered with slivered almonds sandwiched twice over between three moist layers of mocha cake, Norwegian shook his head. Barely suppressing the urge to lick his lips in response to the marzipan decorations carefully arranged on a glossy chocolate ganache outer shell, he responded, "Celebrating seems the right thing to do to me, my dear. I intend to go over the instructions for my patient's release in detail with his teammates later, but it can keep. For now, let us heed the words of the ancients and eat and be merry!" The way his belly jiggled as he chuckled after making such an archaic pronouncement reminded all those present that the man was the very image of Saint Nicholas and this more than his laughter caused those around him to join in the cheerful sound.

As the room was overrun with happy sounds and pleasant banter as Ken was presented with the first slice of cake--something that made his mouth water as he reiterated that this was indeed his most favorite treat!--dramatic yet harmless cumulus clouds sailed across the sky. 

Eventually, someone asked Omi if he was missing class since they thought it was a school day, but the genki youth informed them it was a district holiday and that he'd been looking forward to coming to see Ken since both his school and the shop were closed. This led to a comment that it was particularly convenient since he could help gather the almost countless cards off the walls and the blond had groaned and mentioned that task would've been easier if his boyfriend was there. A moderate use of Nagi's powers would've left the cards in a neat pile in no time and even though the image was a sweet one, it lead to a frown on the previously cherubic features since the Weiss archer felt so lonely for the Schwarz telekinetic.

Luckily, the ever practical nurse from the small fishing village had a solution to the unhappiness in cerulean eyes and wondered aloud if Omi might want to save a piece of cake to give to Nagi later. This suggestion was well received though impractical and before long, an entirely new discussion arose regarding what Okazaki's cat codename might be. 

Blushing shyly and looking down, the 30-something year old man insisted it didn't matter and that he was sure whatever Kritiker chose for him would be fine.

Those gathered around--minus Egami who was finding himself more and more intrigued by the intricacies of the secretive organization whose members he had long ago sworn to protect--disagreed and launched into a happy debate over several options. Manx surreptitiously kept track of the types of names the man seemed to like more than others and by the time the conversation moved on to a new topic, she had narrowed her own preferences to several breeds whose natures were calm, predictable, and unquestionably loyal. 

The redheaded woman did note one odd thing, however, which was when certain traditionally Asian breeds were mentioned, Aya scowled more deeply than usual as if to say such names shouldn't be considered. Curious about this unexpected observation yet unwilling to make an issue of it there and then, she filed that information away, too, for another day.

After a lengthy and enjoyable going-away party of sorts, the group dispersed slowly. 

First to leave was Egami whose pager informed him that an ambulance was en route that had a patient that might need his expertise. With a warm smile, he shook hands with the men of Weiss and playfully announced that he hoped he never saw them darken his door again since that would mean someone had been badly injured. Then, in a voice filled with sincerity and not a small amount of admiration for what they were trying to do for the citizens of Japan, he told them they could always count on his people as well as himself if they needed their services again in the future. He also postponed his departure for a moment to wish Okazaki well and then the surgeon who had worked so hard to save Ken's life was gone.

Next to leave were the two nurses who were finally getting to go home for the first time in well over a week. Neither of them needed long good-byes, though, since after each had a well earned four days of rest, they'd be back at work at Kritiker Medical Center where they would help with Ken's rehabilitation. As they walked out the door, Javanese gently teased Hideo that he would need to give her advice on bedside manner someday since she'd noticed that "her boys" seemed to like him better than they did her. The self-effacing man blushed despite being older and more experienced than she was, yet disagreed quietly before they vanished from hearing range.

Since Manx had dealt with the financial as well as security issues pertaining to the brown-eyed Weiss member's stay at Tokyo General many days prior, there wasn't any of the usual purely administrative paperwork to cope with and before long, the four florist/assassins were getting ready to leave. 

Omi had dutifully worked to gather up the many cheerful cards and then left to take all of the bouquets other than the one in the Venetian vase to any elderly patients who might not have anything pretty in their rooms to cheer them up. As Ken had put it quite well when he suggested sharing them, he was on his way home to more flowers than anyone had a right to enjoy at one time and if they could share a little floral happiness with those who had none they should do so.

Once the eldest three members of Weiss were alone with Norwegian, the Kritiker physician made good on his promise to debrief them in detail regarding what was expected of his patient to insure Ken's complete recovery. 

Occasionally Ken would ask something or other, but for the most part he remained silent and allowed his two lovers to handle the conversation for him. Yohji and Aya shared solemn expressions as they asked questions and double-checked the dosages of certain painkillers and other drugs that would be required for some time to come.

The topic of Siberian's medications, however, raised an unexpected issue and Norwegian asked, "By the way, Balinese, how have *you* been doing lately? Any more severe headaches I ought to know about?"

Frowning slightly, Yohji peered at the man over the top rim of his sunglasses and answered, "No, I've been fine, Norwegian. Other than those couple of days last week, there hasn't been anything other than the occasional tension headache after a noisy day in the shop." He wanted to mention that he didn't think the headaches were anything to be concerned about since both the blood tests and the brief neurological exam he'd received a week earlier had shown nothing out of the ordinary, but thought better of it as Aya scowled at him.

Chilly amethyst eyes gazed accusingly at guilty jade ones and then the Weiss swordsman commented icily, "Why didn't you mention the tension headaches sooner, Kudou? That will change immediately! There was no reason to allow them to cause you discomfort just because I wasn't there in the afternoons to keep those obnoxious fangirls in line!" His tone warmed only a few degrees as he asked, "You *did* keep those painkillers that Norwegian prescribed for you, right? If he needs to take them again, I'll contact you personally and let you know, doctor." His gaze was perceptibly concerned as he looked at the Kritiker physician and received a nod of agreement in return.

The expression of acute embarrassment on Yohji's face was a rare one but before he could open his mouth to claim he didn't need a nursemaid, the younger of his two lovers spoke up.

With his usual frankness, Ken stated, "We'll *both* see to it that he takes better care of himself, Norwegian. Hell, I totally freaked out that night I woke up and he was passed out in the extra bed in here." Giving the lanky blond a firm gaze that told him not to argue, he added, "I can't believe you think this is no big deal, Yohji. What makes you think that your pain is less important to us than ours is to you?"

Blinking jade eyes in surprise at the intensity of his partners' responses especially Aya's which he never would have expected to hear, Yohji felt a welcome and unanticipated warmth rise within him and he eventually nodded and said, "All right, you guys win. Next time I feel like crap I'll let you know and we'll deal with it, okay?"

Aya's serious expression lightened somewhat and he answered, "That's more like it, Yohji." Hearing their teammate approaching in the hallway as Omi greeted an intern in passing while on his way back, he added, "Is there anything else we need to know or can we take Ken home now, doctor?"

After glancing over the release form which had been signed in all the relevant spots and making certain that everything was in order regarding a schedule for Ken's dialysis and other treatments at Kritiker Medical Center, Norwegian smiled and said, "I believe we're done, Abyssinian. Let me have an orderly bring a wheelchair for Siberian and you can be on your way."

"I hate using a wheelchair after I've been able to get up and walk the way I did this morning," Ken complained. Upon recalling the incident with the wet floor which his teammates were unaware of and wanting to keep that a secret, he quickly added, "But since it's probably hospital policy, I'll behave and use one anyway."

Even as Omi walked into the room wearing a bright expression, happy to have made several senior citizens' rooms substantially cheerier, Yohji smiled adoringly and patted the brunette on the head saying, "Good boy! Get used to being babied, Kenken! Norwegian's counting on us to take good care of you and that starts now."

"We'll take *excellent* care of him," Aya corrected with a hidden smile of his own that was strictly for Ken's eyes. 

"That's for sure," Omi chirped, beaming at everyone on the room and then quickly getting the last few things together even as Norwegian arranged for the wheelchair.

Before long, the men of Weiss were moving through the corridors of Tokyo General looking very much like the close-knit family that they had become. Several nurses, interns, and volunteers took the opportunity to wish Ken the best and he smiled up from his spot in the wheelchair and thanked them for everything. Carrying the antique vase full of gentians with great care, Aya remained silently alert keeping a watchful eye on his teammates pleased that they were finally at this point. Yohji pushed the chair carefully and occasionally made a remark or two to Omi who carried the stack of greeting cards in one hand and a duffel bag of clothes and miscellaneous items in the other.

When they arrived at the ground floor, the brunette commented that he couldn't wait to feel the sun on his face again for the first time in over two weeks and everyone around him felt glad that it wasn't raining again. November had been particularly dismal and to be able to see the bright blue sky as they rolled outside was heavenly for all of them. 

While Yohji went to get the car, the remaining threesome chatted quietly together discussing what to do for dinner since Norwegian's decision to release Ken had been utterly unexpected. Unfortunately for the chocolate-eyed teen, there were still significant restrictions on his diet in deference to the healing kidney and in the end Aya insisted that they simply get home first and then decide what to do about it later. Touched by his scarlet-haired lover's practicality, the recovering patient agreed easily enough and simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the sunshine for a few minutes.

The throaty rumble of a well-tuned engine warned them of the arrival of Yohji's roadster and Ken opened his eyes in time to see his first lover pull up smiling broadly in response to Omi's playfully extended thumb as if hitchhiking home. 

It took a fair amount of maneuvering to arrange the cast-laden man comfortably in the sporty car but it had been done plenty of times in the past for each of them. After placing the duffel bag, cards, and the cane that Ken had held on his lap into the trunk and turning the wheelchair over to a candy-stripe-clad volunteer, they pulled away and started making their way home to the Koneko no Sumu Ie.

As Tokyo General Hospital receded behind them, Omi asked thoughtfully, "I wonder if we'll ever wind up here again or not? It's been a nice enough place but I'd guess anything like this we might need in the future will probably be taken care of at KMC like usual though, right?"

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Aya fought the slight chill he suddenly felt and then remarked with a growl, "I'd prefer to think that we'll be more careful in the future and not need to seek care for 'anything like this' in the first place, Bombay!"

Cerulean eyes dipped down sadly and before the younger blond could answer, the elder one quietly commented, "Take it easy, Aya." Glancing over and seeing troubled violet eyes gazing at him, he added pointedly even as he looked in the rearview mirror and saw Ken giving Omi's shoulder a comforting squeeze, "Omi didn't mean that he thought Ken might get hurt badly again. Besides, you and I aren't going to let that happen anyway, are we?"

"Of course not," the swordsman growled with less anger, then sighed and forced himself to calm down before adding, "I'd rather that *none* of us ever end up badly injured again, Yohji, but I guess that's too much to hope for."

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," the wire-wielding assassin agreed and then placed a cigarette between his lips out of habit.

Distractedly sucking on the white cylinder which remained unlit since he had the top up and didn't want Ken's newly healed lung to be troubled by the smoke, Yohji tried not to worry about the pain and suffering that the future might hold for them. For once, he refused to allow the simple fact that an assassin's life is not meant to be a happy one dampen his spirit and he simply enjoyed the uneventful drive home, something that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that ignorance truly *is* bliss.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] This is a reference to "Love Mode" and on the off-chance that you are familiar with that marvelous manga by Yuki Shimizu, "Cream" is the cake shop that Aoe-san's darling Naoya works at. Hmm, wouldn't it be fun to have that poor, angst-ridden bishounen encounter Omi? Talk about being able to put a pair of tragic pasts against each other to see whose life has been worse, ne?

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 58 & 59 will be posted together. 

In accordance with my current commitment to give credit where credit is due and to thank the wonderful people who welcomed this fic back after its over-long Easter Break, this evening's posting run is dedicated to all those who have written me directly regarding it this week!

{pulls out the Horn of Friendship, plays a jaunty tune that shows how pleased he is that this list is as long as it is!}

Before I start naming names, I will add my usual cautionary note that, unfortunately, AOHell occasionally sees fit to eat my messages instead of delivering them to me, so if you sent me a note and your name doesn't appear here, I apologize profusely and beg your forgiveness. Also, another small warning my long-time fans already know by heart, I'm notorious for sending out Parts of the story to the whole world first and going back to send private thank you notes later. So please don't be surprised if it isn't until a day or more *after* the final posting run ends that you hear from me directly. I hate being behind on answering my email since there's so many cool notes I want to respond to, but there's only so many hours in the day and even when I cheat the Sandman like I did today--something I already regret--I'm still barely able to get everything done.

{looks repentant yet helpless as he yawns again, then starts making his list of dedicatees to honor publicly all those who chose to support him privately}

The first name on this list should come as no surprise to anyone at all since she's been one of my greatest sources of encouragement and I adore her for that as well as respect her for being an incredible writer herself, the one, the only, Yanagi-sen!! 

{does the "wave" as if he was at a football game then smirks to himself, sits down and types more!}

Beloved Yanagi-sen has been an ever faithful font of fun since I first "met" her on-line via a shared interest in GW fanfiction. Since then, we've both been seduced to the WK world as well and I think we're both exceptionally happy about it. As for me, though, I've gotten more smiles, laughs, chuckles, and "ah ha! here's a great idea for a new fic or a twist in an ongoing one since *she* pointed this out!" moments than I can count. I could rave on and on about her, but since she got an entire posting run dedicated to her earlier in this fic, I'd best move on to the next honoree after mentioning something important. Please note that when Yanagi-sen's giftfic "Skill With a Blade" appears I hope everyone will take heed that it is NOT connected to the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity at all! Poor Omi and Nagi shouldn't have to cope with the side-effects of *that* plot for more than one story! 

{shakes head sadly, knows that one won't be for the faint of heart, then moves on}

Next on my hit parade of frequent commentators is my crazy little brother who often sends brief snippets of "preferred descriptors" when he likes some of my word choices along with absolute groaner puns he either comes up with himself or finds at a humor newsgroup. Since he and I chat about fics on the phone on a regular basis, he often keeps the "review" part short and sweet preferring to make me laugh with a joke planning to go into detail later. Notes from him are always filled with the unexpected and that, too, makes them worthy of being placed highly on this list.

{quietly feels grateful he's not the only loony in the family then moves on}

Next up is a young lady who seems like a member of my family without actually being one and that's my kitten-koi, Ryoko. She'd never even seen WK until after I got her hooked on CNR and now she's a huge fan enjoying the adventures of the Weiss kittens on DVD as well as in fanfiction! Her personal grudge against Calico runs deep and I must say that if you wanted a loyal and darling reader for a friend you'd be hard pressed to do better than my kitten! She's defended me against flamers, cheered me up when I was down, and even tolerated my absence from the IM chats we often share just to get this fic posted for everyone to enjoy. I'm looking forward to writing a new GW piece about Trowa and Wufei to give her something new for her great page Sweet&Sweet soon to show her how much I appreciate her support, too! 

{yawns about eight times in a row, gets a fresh glass of ice water to try to stay awake then goes faster on the rest of the list since the night is fleeting and the time for science lectures approaches}

A name that appears here which was on my fanfiction.net friends list as well is that of the amazing Beth. This lady is astounding! She's got a family to care for, a job that keeps her hopping, and yet finds time to write to me long and wonderful letters which I find more inspirational and reassuring than I think she knows. I hope to include a side-story or an epilogue just for Beth before the CNR tale is truly told, but for now, may I simply say that she's fabulous and anything with her email listed as "sender" is sure to get opened and read very quickly!

Another crossover fan whose name appears on both of these lists is Cat whom I consider to be one of the best things to happen to me since decaffeinated Earl Grey tea! Keep in mind, I simply *love* a good cup of tea that smells like bergamot, therefore it's not hard to infer that I also love Cat along with her adorable GW chibis! I'm incredibly grateful that she's following my fic and whenever she writes to me either directly or at fanfiction.net, I get a huge smile on my face! The fact that I seem to have given her a few smiles, too, is quite nice and that fact gives my muses and me energy to go forth bravely on the new pieces of the continuity knowing Cat and Chibi-Wufei will be along for the ride! 

{moves on to more email friends with a sleepy yet grateful smile}

Next is a sweet friend who pops in from time to time, the ever darling Cody! Always with a quick cheerful word of encouragement or an observation, Cody makes me smile a lot and is, sadly, one of the people that are waiting to hear from me at length.

Another adored note-writer is mei-chan whose words of encouragement regarding the way my detailed coverage of the day-to-day was as enjoyable to read as the big events showed me that it really *was* worth it to go to this level of almost obsessive detail! Thanks, mei-chan, and I promise you that Calico *will* pay the price for poor Sokoke's death, it'll just take awhile!

A writer who I am honored to acknowledge as one of my readers here is the wonderful Portia! She's been a great supporter of this endeavor going so far as to bribe my muses with brownies one cold Winter day and that really helped when Melpomene was being cantankerous! Since I happen to know she's a die-hard Brad-Schu lover, you can bet there'll be more of those two bishounen for her to enjoy in "Power Failure" and here's hoping I get a chance to go enjoy some of her new works soon, too! Geez, there's times when my "I will not both read and write fanfiction at the same time to avoid accidental plagiarism" rule really bums me out!

As everyone found out last night, Issini has made quite an impression on me and I was glad to hear that she felt better after my reassurances that none of the series characters would die here. 

Last but not least on this list is a new friend by the name of Bright Shadow. I can't begin to find the words to say what this person made me feel when I opened an incredibly long and well-considered letter from them. There were things in it that made my heart ache with gratitude such as the fact that this kind soul *appreciated* my hard work spent writing the first 18 Parts or so without feedback, a fact that I thought had gone unnoticed by the public. Yes, it *is* terribly hard to write alone that way, but before this fic I had always prided myself on not posting an unfinished epic. Now that I've done it this way, I can see there's both pluses and minuses to this approach but the fact that Bright Shadow noticed made me warm and happy. 

{smiles at the long list of friends, then YAWNS and notes that he hasn't written his intro comments for the science class, then frowns about *that*, then signs-off with a promise}

Well, team, it's past time for me to wrap this up and share it with the world. For better or worse, I plan to be back shortly with the final three Parts all in one posting run for you! Here's hoping you all enjoyed my salute to my readers and that you, too, got a smile out of Kenken's "going-away" party! 

Adios!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who is apparently insane to try to do this when he knows what he faces in a few hours, but after the review count went so wondrously high at fanfiction.net today, skipping a night of posting runs was out of the question! arigatou, minna-san!)

Posted 25 April 2002 ~5:15am


	60. Siberian's Homecoming

Greetings! Welcome to the final night of the debut performance of "Cold November Rain" here at the one and only Angst Theatre! 

{sniffles slightly, endings can be such bittersweet things, then offers a few statistics}

Yes, believe it or not, after 4 long months and over 200,000 words crammed into 1,200kb of memory on my zip drive, the first ever Enigma Angst Epic for the world of Weiss Kreuz is finally over! Well, at least, it's over for now, there might be epilogues added later and there's *definitely* going to be a few side-stories, but the tale that I set out to tell in January is now complete and we can all celebrate, ne?

{does the llama happy dance of joy which is actually a rather odd looking thing that reminds the world that it is a very good thing that the Casa de Llama doesn't have a digital camera hooked to the computer}

Before I borrow Vicious' tux one last time for this production, let me address a couple of questions and concerns that have been mentioned by more than one person. First up, *yes*, many readers caught a not terribly hidden reference to Speed Racer in Part 56! That cute little white race car Lorlor tied to our dental patient's balloons was indeed the Mach 5 and I'll be the first to admit that I still love this anime classic! As a matter of fact, Speed's older brother Rex had a recurring guest role in "The Secrets Arc" which is why I wanted to slip him in here even if he's only an implied guest star.

Second, regarding Schuldich's gorgeous hair and how much was lost due to the fire in the kitchen in Part 50. Perhaps I should've been more blatant with the reference, but when it's mentioned in Part 57, I specifically chose to go metric and indicated it was "a displeasing six centimeters shorter than normal" which is roughly 2.4 inches shorter, not the 6 inches shorter a couple of folks had feared. The main idea was that it had changed but not terribly so since Brad wouldn't appreciate it if I changed his lover too much without permission.

Third, small notation to correct a misunderstanding caused by my being unable to confirm it previously, the song Lorlor so cleverly used to drive poor Schu nuts in Part 57 was from A Touch of Class's "Planet Pop" album and is entitled "Around the World (La la la la la)". After I discovered the correct credits for this I got a bit of a laugh since it turns out this band records for a German record label based in Berlin, what a bizarre coincidence, ne?

Next, in answer to the questions about my sordid past as a geneticist, yes, I was a "gene jockey" one of those almost mystical figures of the 80's and 90's who were busy splicing DNA for the first time in history and making people rethink what constituted science fiction versus science fact. My patents are shared with my former coworkers at one of the largest Agricultural Chemical companies in the world which shall be nameless since I don't wish to recall the past in detail. Oh, and before you worry too much, I only did research on plants and never people since all three of my advanced degrees are in botany and not medicine. My guest lectures were for Lauren's science teacher and the kids were mostly interested in human genetic modification along the whimsical lines like part human-part fish and so forth. I told them they'd have better luck getting George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic or perhaps Jim Henson's Monster Shop to create some special effects for them rather than to wait for science to fulfill their preteen horror fantasies.

{shrugs and wonders off-handedly what Kenken would look like as a handsome merboy and whether or not he could catch the eye of a rugged-looking blond fisherman or even that of a handsome yet lonely prince with scarlet hair and a heavy heart. then melpomene catches the llama daydreaming and slaps him to remind him that he's got "realistic" angst to write and not to go play in fairytale land unless he's willing to pay for it later} 

Last and probably least, a couple of people asked when my birthday was for reasons that are beyond me and even though I'm not sure if I ought to mention it here or not, it's June 9th and the llama will be an ancient 43 this year. 

{sweatdrops and knows full well this means he's twice the age and more of many of his fans and then he shuts up, slips on the stylish tuxedo that a certain white-haired, katana-wielding bishounen expects back after tonight, lights the marquee and hands you a playbill that reads "Final Performance!"}

Tonight's extra-long show opens with Part 60 as Siberian finally returns home and discovers just how much he was really missed by those who care deeply for him. Two weeks after Weiss was reunited, things have settled into a pleasant routine which is disrupted in Part 61 by the unexpected. The surprisingly joyful celebration of the one month anniversary of Ken's near fatal injuries continues in Part 62 as various people share gifts of friendship, respect, and love within the warm welcoming walls of the Koneko. 

{sighs a little, almost sad that's the last time he'll do this for awhile, but when "Power Failure" hits this summer he'll get to do it a lot most likely, so taking a breather might be a good idea after all, ne?}

Kindly note that all three Parts are King-sized in honor of Kenken who was so tolerant of Melpomene's abuse of him and his friends. My apologies in advance for flooding the inboxes of those of you on the various MLs receiving the fic, but at least it's the last night for awhile.

Before I send you off to spend some time at the flowershop where all three of tonight's Parts take place, let me mention that Lauren, muse of Kleenex warnings, recommended a tiny tissue alert for tonight's posting run. She said that Part 60 made her sniffle happily but the simple fact that it was over made her feel like crying outright since she's had so much fun talking about it with me and reading selected outtakes. As for myself, well, I happen to like those "ultimately happy endings" I mentioned before which often include a bit of heart tugging and this is certainly one of those. I humbly hope that after watching them all suffer so much you, too, enjoy seeing them smile whether you reach for a Kleenex or not.

Enjoy the Non-Angst!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who reconfigured the ending and added Parts 61 and 62 in a rare moment of selfishness since the llama simply couldn't wait until later to write this particular set of scenes as the epilogue he originally assumed they'd end up being. hmm, will anyone else be happy about seeing them here or do they simply drag out the ending? hopefully the readers will offer an opinion or two to guide the hairy beast in the future, ne? {sweatdrops and then runs it as is anyway})

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Cold November Rain [part 60/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 14. time: 1445-1510 hours. ++

***** 

Pulling into the alleyway behind the flowershop, Yohji sang out unnecessarily, "End of the line! Everybody out!"

"Man, this place never looked better!" Ken exclaimed tiredly. Like most newly released patients who have just gotten through a difficult health challenge, his energy had been utterly depleted by the rigors of departure from the hospital and he was already looking forward to an afternoon nap. Granted, it would be enjoyed in the comfort of his own bed and would most likely include the warm and reassuring presence of at least one if not both of his partners, so there were hidden benefits to be enjoyed in an impromptu siesta. 

Giggling slightly, Omi shook his head and said pragmatically, "It's just the back of the shop, Ken-kun, but I know what you mean!" As he helped the other teen carefully extract himself from the backseat even as Aya retrieved the cane for Ken's use, he added unhappily, "But if we'd known you were coming home today, I could've made a sign for the door on my computer welcoming you back or something. *That* would've been nice!"

Yohji had slipped from his position behind the steering wheel to unlock the backdoor and he pushed it open as Aya handed Ken the cane with a silent admonition to use extreme care if he didn't want to end up being carried bodily everywhere he went. 

Chuckling slightly at his overprotective lovers' behavior, the brunette hobbled inside and made a slow but steady beeline to the door into the closed flowershop. With Omi and Aya behind him while Yohji parked the car in the basement garage, Ken entered a room that hummed softly from the refrigerated display cases filled with bouquets. The air in the room was redolent with the heady fragrance of hundreds of flowers and earthy potting soil. Chocolate-colored eyes gained a suspicious dampness as he silently reminded himself this was real and not another frustrating fantasy spawned by one too many days spent feeling trapped in a hospital bed.

Stepping close and placing a gentle hand on his friend's uninjured arm, the blue-eyed teen gazed up and asked quietly, "How does everything look, Ken-kun? We rearranged a few things for you." Cerulean eyes glanced around and the Weiss archer was pleased the shutters on all of the shop windows were closed granting them privacy as their previously absent friend had a chance to simply enjoy being home again without interference from the outside world. 

Trying to shake the moisture from his eyes before his friend could see it and failing, Ken sighed gratefully and responded, "It looks like paradise, Omi." Allowing himself to gaze around the room slowly taking the time to appreciate the infinite details, he added, "I can't believe how beautiful this all looks. Every flower, every potted plant, all the arrangements, even that silly wall display I did for the helium balloons looks good right now! But something's different, I can tell. But what is it? Hmm…?" The questioning tone continued until he realized it wasn't something he saw as much as something he heard. Closing his eyes and sealing out the sound of Yohji closing the garage door before dashing up the circular staircase to rejoin his teammates, Ken searched with his hearing for the answer that was eluding him.

Bounding through the door in the back of the room, the jade-eyed man asked excitedly, "Well?! What did he say? Did he like it?" 

"Shh! Yohji-kun! Be quiet!" Omi hushed him firmly. Then he pointed at the teen who wore an odd smile that seemed out of place on someone whose arm was in a cast and thigh was so heavily bandaged they'd been forced to cut the leg off a pair of jeans for him to wear home. With a tiny smile of his own, he explained, "I don't think Ken-kun's figured it out yet."

"Good!" The lanky blond smirked broadly and ignored a dark scowl from his scarlet-haired partner as he quickly added, "I wanted to be here when he found it anyway."

"Shut up, Kudou," Aya half-snarled then moved to steady their beloved brunette with a warm hand on his back encouraging Ken to take his time as he explored the area in his own fashion.

"Water's running somewhere, isn't it?" The former J-league player asked, tilting his deliberately blinded face towards the front corner display window and adding, "It sounds like music."

Beaming delightedly, the youngest member of Weiss said, "That's what I thought, too, Ken-kun! But the water isn't running the way you think it is! Why not open your eyes and come and see?"

Shrugging since he'd made as much of a discovery as he could that way, Ken opened his eyes and allowed the genki youth to carefully guide him towards the large bay window that jutted out over the front sidewalk even as it offered pleasant indoor display space. 

Yohji, who knew better than to be upset about Aya's earlier remonstration since they were both anxious about the "welcome home" gift they had set up several days earlier to make sure it would work properly when it was needed, followed at his own pace. He plucked a seemingly random flower from a large floor display as they walked and used it to tap on the violet-eyed man's shoulder. 

Turning his head intending to command his jade-eyed partner to behave himself and stop distracting him, the Weiss swordsman found himself nose-to-petal with a newly opened and richly scented rosebud the color of burgundy wine and he smiled in spite of himself. 

Smirking slightly, the older of the two handed the wordless gesture of affection to his partner then refocused on the brunette who was coming perilously close to their destination.

With a sudden intake of breath, Ken blinked in startlement and exclaimed quietly, "Oh, wow! That's absolutely incredible! Where did you *find* that, Aya?" Unable to take his eyes off the intricately carved and very natural looking meter-high, multiple-tiered, black marble waterfall which included smoothly polished river rocks which gave it the pleasantly musical sound of a babbling brook, he gasped again and asked, "And how much did it *cost*?! Hell, I doubt any of our usual customers can afford to buy this, but it sure is stunning!" 

Snorting softly and shaking his head as he moved to activate a soft overhead light that shed a warm golden glow that shifted slowly across the surface of the water adding natural looking highlights to it, Aya answered, "It isn't *for* sale, Ken. We picked this out for *you* to enjoy, love." Catching the shared expressions of satisfaction on his teammates' faces, he silently handed the conversation to the younger of the two blondes with a nod of the head.

Omi eagerly continued the explanation, "I saw this in a supply catalogue while helping Aya-kun with the orders last week and thought that you might like it. I realized that while you were recovering you wouldn't be able to actually *work* in here for quite awhile, but since you liked being around the flowers, it might be nice to give you something to enjoy when we aren't busy. Oh, and the light was Aya-kun's idea and it makes it look like daytime even at night, so you can enjoy it anytime you want to. Um, *and* when you aren't supposed to be in bed resting, of course!" He added the last line hastily as he recalled the one and only complaint against the extravagant gift from the elder members of Weiss who took their oath of protection of their younger lover very seriously and then smiled at Yohji to tell him he was next.

Slipping a warm hand around Ken's waist to steady him even as Aya did the same with a hand to a shoulder, Yohji said adoringly, "The bottom line, baby, is that all three of us wanted to find a way to say we're damned glad that you pulled through and made it home to us. We *all* love you, Ken. This place just wasn't the same without you here."

The slight dampness in chocolate eyes renewed itself and was matched to greater and lesser extents in the eyes of those around him. Sniffling slightly and feeling as if his heart might burst from happiness, the nineteen year old looked at each of his teammates one at a time and then said, "Thanks, guys." Swiping at the tears that were leaving tracks on his cheeks, he added, "I may not have Yohji's eloquence to find new ways to say the same thing, but I can't begin to thank you enough for this. I mean, hell, just *look* at this thing! It's *gorgeous*!" Having feasted his eyes on his lovers and friend's faces enough, he returned his attention to the waterfall and his face gained a soft, tender expression that truly proved that an image was worth a thousand words. 

"No, Ken-love," the jade-eyed man very nearly purred, "*you're* what's 'gorgeous', baby!" As the younger of his two lovers turned towards him to disagree, Yohji took the opportunity to capture his chin in a gentle grasp to steady the teen as he kissed him, slowly, sweetly, and with love as well as respect.

Upon feeling warm moist lips pressed against his own, the brunette let his eyes slip closed once more and he sighed ever so slightly as their kiss stretched out for a timeless moment then ended. No words were spoken yet none were needed as Ken then turned his head to the man standing on his opposite side and allowed Aya to share his own silent almost reverent kiss with him. 

Both tender expressions of love flowed over and through the brunette never slowing the trail of tears that slipped free of his eyes without causing anyone to be afraid that he was in pain or unhappy. The claw-wielding assassin's emotions often ran close to the surface and he made no effort to conceal the fact that at that very moment, he felt more joy and fulfillment than he could contain within himself.

The cerulean-eyed boy was having a matching problem with wetness in his eyes after seeing his friends sharing the gently passionate kiss that only served to remind him of his own absent boyfriend. Omi's glistening tears were like the gentle raindrops that fall beneath sunshine and herald a rainbow. Then he smiled brightly despite the dampness on his cheeks as he said quietly, "I'm so glad you like it, Ken-kun! We've got a really nice chair to go in here when we're closed, too, so you can sit by it when you want to." He mock-pouted and reiterated his earlier annoyance with not knowing that today would be the big day as he complained, "I wish Norwegian had let us know in advance you were being released today, though. Then *that* could've been set-up and made ready for you, too!"

Using his free hand to ruffle the boy's hair playfully, the elder blond commented, "Stop worrying about it, Omiitchi!" When the teen he'd kept his arm wrapped around yawned widely, Yohji added, "Besides, Kenken's tired, he ought to get some rest."

Trying to disagree around a yawn, the brunette made some unintelligible noises that equated to "But I'm not sleepy" in the classic manner of a reluctant five year old who has been told that it was naptime. 

Voice warm and loving yet firm, Aya stated unequivocally, "You're going up to bed now, Ken, no arguments." Seeing that the teen wasn't pleased he added warningly, "You know that Norwegian left Yohji and me in charge of your care, love. You *can* and you *will* follow doctor's orders if it means that you'll continue to regain your health quickly."

"Hn!" Ken snorted in annoyance sounding rather too much like the violet-eyed man for Aya's own comfort then yawned again and gave him a tiny apologetic smile before he agreed, saying, "All right, I guess I *am* kinda tired and all. But why don't you and Yohji come lay down with me for awhile, Aya? You guys have been working hard lately and it *is* a holiday and all. Take a break with me, please?"

Shaking his head and causing scarlet earlocks to dance across his chest, Aya regretfully refused, "No, I'm afraid I can't this time, Ken. I need to check the pantry and refrigerator before going to the market for you as I mentioned earlier." The wistfullness in amethyst eyes spoke of other preferences, yet he was bound and determined to take the best possible care of his recently injured partner.

With a moue of disappointment, Ken looked at Yohji and waited for an answer.

Rubbing at the back of his head uncomfortably since he could rarely deny his first love anything under normal circumstances and even less under the current ones, the wire-wielding assassin glanced at the numerous wilted plants nearby. He sighed before answering, "I'm really sorry, baby, but I skipped watering in here this morning so we could get across town and see you nice and early today." Feeling guilty for being caught in a classic "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, he suggested, "But that shouldn't take me more than an hour. I could come up and lay down with you afterwards, if you wanted me to?" The questioning tone was a hopeful one but he knew he was doomed as Ken's pout deepened dangerously.

Years of exposure to a master of the artform had given Ken an excellent working knowledge of the power and potential for the application of "puppy eyes" and in a fashion that made Omi silently quite proud, he let his chocolate orbs go impossibly wide and pleading. 

The slight sheen of moisture remaining from his earlier tears of joy only accentuated the effect as Ken peered up at the lanky blond entreatingly and very nearly begged, "But I'll be fast asleep by then, Yohji! And as tired as I feel right now, love," he stretched slightly and moaned quietly as he jostled his injuries ever so slightly on purpose before continuing, "I'll probably sleep until after sunset! Please don't make me go to bed all alone again, I did that enough in the hospital." 

Noting that Yohji's tenuous hold on resistance was dropping, he turned his head and directed his gentle weapon at the scarlet-haired man. Without even a word, merely a sigh with a yawn in the middle of it, he noted with satisfaction as Aya's shoulders dropped slightly in a wordless admission of defeat.

Having watched the astounding success of his pupil with unspoken delight, Omi beamed at the trio and offered sweetly, "Why not let *me* take care of watering the plants and flowers, Yohji-kun? After that, I can go to the store and pick up a bunch of the things on Norwegian's list for Ken-kun to enjoy, all right, Aya-kun?"

"Well, I don't know, Omi," the usually confident swordsman spoke with unfamiliar uncertainty giving the two men beside him slightly lost glances as he explained, "I know you want to help, but you weren't in the room when Norwegian was going over the list, and well…?" His words fell away entirely as Ken artfully chose to lean more fully into Yohji's embrace with a tired sigh.

Seeing that they were both no longer in control of their destinies if only for a few hours, Yohji made the decision for them all, saying gratefully, "Thanks a lot, bishounen, for covering for us. The food restriction list was in the duffel bag with Kenken's stack of manga last thing I knew and there's grocery money in the cookie jar in the kitchen like usual." Hugging Ken warmly, he added adoringly, "Right now, Aya and me have a date with a sleepy boy, so we'll see you later, okay?"

"That sounds like a good idea, Yohji-kun!" Seeing the quick glance of gratitude that Ken gave him he added, "Sleep well, Ken-kun! I'll be nice and quiet while I work down here so I won't disturb you, okay?"

Giving in to the need to yawn deeply, the former athlete shook his head before replying, "Don't worry about it, Omi. Tokyo General was a good hospital but 'quiet' is something that it wasn't. If I needed it really peaceful to sleep I would've been awake for the last two weeks and we all know I sure wasn't *that*!" 

Firming his grip on the cane that hadn't left his hand, the recovering patient began to hobble towards the stairs that lead to the private rooms above the flowershop glad that the ones connecting the upper floors weren't spiral like the ones below. With a slight frown as he realized it would probably be a very long time before he got to enjoy watching sports on the big screen television in the basement, he failed to watch where he was going and accidentally bumped into one of the displays.

"OWWWW!!!" Practically screaming as a zing of pain shot through his damaged thigh as he stumbled backwards slightly, Ken flailed about only to find himself being swept up in arms made strong and confident by years of swordsmanship.

"Ken!" Aya shouted in concern even as he cradled the younger man against his chest and asked urgently, "Are you all right?"

Yohji, too, was immediately beside the teen as he fell and had snatched the cane with lightning fast reflexes before it could land on the floor. Giving a stunned shake of his head, he felt deeply grateful for their ability to move in tandem the way that he and his scarlet-haired partner did and even though it hadn't technically been a mission situation, their years of working together had paid off handsomely yet again.

Embarrassed beyond words, Ken chastised himself saying, "Gods! I've got the grace of a water buffalo at times!" Peering up at worried amethyst eyes, he added contritely, "I'm fine now, Aya. You can put me down again. I'll be more careful."

With a classic snort of disagreement, the Weiss field-leader refused and simply held him more closely, pleased that he was holding him so that the right side of Ken's body rested against his own and didn't add any pressure to the undoubtedly throbbing left leg. Before the dangerous puppy eyes could be put into use again, he commanded flatly, "You'll stay right where you are until I get you to bed, Siberian!"

"But, Aya--" Ken tried to defend his male pride yet was cut off by gentle fingertips pressed to his lips.

"You heard the man," Yohji insisted firmly then added with a shrug, "I wasn't so sure I was going to let you try to go up the stairs on that rickety cane anyway, baby. Now, enough dramatics for one day! Aya, if you'll get him to our room, I'll grab his meds from the duffel bag and be right up. Even if he wasn't due for any painkillers yet, I think bashing his foot like that warrants some."

"Seems reasonable to me," Aya agreed, calming himself out of mission-mode and then carrying his beloved partner towards the stairs carefully.

"Don't *I* get a say in this?!" The chocolate-eyed teen demanded hotly despite enjoying the warm, loving way in which he was being carried and fussed over.

Without exchanging so much as a glance, Yohji and Aya answered synchronously, "No."

After groaning and muttering that he didn't like being outnumbered, Ken wisely quieted down and nestled himself warmly against Aya's strong chest as they disappeared from sight.

While the eldest member of Weiss rummaged in the hastily gathered collection of things from the hospital in search of the medications that Ken would need over the coming weeks if not months, Omi had stopped dead in the middle of the shop instead of putting on his apron. His more typical genki demeanor had fallen away entirely and in its place was a quiet, melancholic expression that made him seem his actual age, something that rarely expressed itself while inside the cheerful environs of the Koneko. With a sad sigh, he tried to shake himself out if it and turned to reach for the buttercup-colored apron yet he paused again and merely stood where he was apparently staring at nothing.

"Ah ha! I found you!" Yohji chortled gleefully, holding the bottles of prescription pills aloft. Realizing he only heard the now familiar, relaxing sound of water flowing over smooth stone instead of the anticipated youthful giggle he associated with his young friend, he turned and asked worriedly, "Omiitchi? Is something wrong, bishounen?" 

Startled slightly by the elder blonde's exclamation as well as his question, Omi shook himself from his reverie and admitted, "Yeah, I guess so, Yohji-kun." With a soul-deep sigh, he added, "Seeing Ken-kun being carried off to bed that way reminded me of all the times that Aya-kun did the same thing for Nagi. Um, carrying him, I mean, not planning to go take a nap with him, of course." The slight blush that graced peach-fuzz cheeks was sweet despite the thoughts behind it being less than innocent and simply highlighted the large, seeking cerulean orbs that turned towards jade ones hoping for understanding.

Nodding his understanding even as he tucked the plethora of medications into a paper bag to keep them together, Yohji then turned and closed the small distance between them and placed a friendly hand on Omi's shoulder as he reassured, "I knew what you meant the first time, Omiitchi." With a gentle smile he explained his view of the situation, "Even if we can't know for certain when or where the two of you will see each other again, I *am* sure that it will happen! You've got to have some faith, bishounen. 'Ganbatte' and all that, ne?"

Despite the elder blonde's confident smile, the younger one tilted his head to one side and asked in sincere confusion, "How can you be so sure, Yohji-kun?" Uncertainty was in every word as he dropped his eyes and stared at his fingers where they twisted together nervously.

Giving the boy's shoulder a squeeze to remind him that he was never truly alone, the jade-eyed man shrugged slightly and then offered a rare insight to his own thoughts that usually went unspoken, "You two are meant to be together, Omi. Don't ask me why or how I know, but just believe me when I say that you and Nagi are like a fated pair from some ancient drama or something." A cautionary tone entered his voice as he added, "Now, I don't believe for one minute that it'll be any easier for you than it is for anyone else, but it'll happen one way or another. Just have patience and faith, then before you know it you'll be together again, closer than ever, I'm sure of it!"

Omi's expression was thoughtful for a moment and then he nodded and answered his friend's earlier exultation to be hopeful and he said, "I'll be really glad when that happens, Yohji-kun, I miss him so much." With a half-strength genki smile creeping back to his lips he added semi-confidently, "Ganbatte!"

"That's my boy!" Yohji smiled and moved his hand to mock-punch his friend in the arm and then pretended to yawn for effect before saying unconvincingly, "Oh, my, I am *so* tired! I need a nap, I think."

"It certainly sounds like it, Yohji-kun!" Omi agreed with a brighter smile courtesy of the elder florist/assassin's silliness. "You'd better get upstairs soon, though. I don't think Aya-kun would forgive you for making Ken-kun unhappy by not being there before he fell asleep."

"That's for damned sure," the taller of the two laughed quietly and sauntered towards the stairs intending to make certain both of the men he loved were happy if at all possible. As he reached the lowest riser, though, he glanced over his shoulder and watched as Omi still distracted by thoughts of his absent boyfriend pulled on his apron and turned on the hose. 

With the sound of water noisily splashing into the metal watering can that they used for the potted plants to cover his words, Yohji sighed aloud and remarked as if to unseen angels, "I sure hope I'm right about them being together again soon, though. Those poor kids have both suffered so much on their own, would it be too much to ask of whatever the hell force controls our lives to let them have a little happiness they could hold onto?" Brushing his long blond hair out of his eyes, he turned his thoughts to the men awaiting him and hurried to make sure his own promises were kept in a timely fashion.

As he carefully poured water into the few remaining smiley-faced pots of primroses, Omi recalled that most of Lorlor's special plants had sailed out the doors with the fashion-conscious schoolgirls during her visit the week before. With a small smile, he reminded himself to pick up some Pocky at the market to send to her at school in thanks for helping to keep the Koneko in business during their absence as well as delivering his secret message of love to the Schwarz penthouse. 

Hearing quiet footfalls in the hallway above him that he correctly supposed was Yohji or Aya getting Ken some water for his medicine reminded him of the elder blonde's words of encouragement pertaining to Nagi. With a heavy sigh, Omi silently hoped that he really would see his beloved midnight-eyed boyfriend before too much longer. At one point, a Christmas reunion hadn't seemed too long to wait yet now as November seemed to stretch out and last forever, the young archer doubted he could last that long without feeling the sable-haired teen in his arms once more. 

*****

To be continued.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 60 - 62 will be posted together. 


	61. Appreciating the Routine and Delighting ...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 61/62]

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 31. time: 1645-1730 hours. ++

***** 

The one month anniversary of Ken's shooting was passing by gratefully unnoticed for the most part by the residents of the Koneko no Sumu Ie as they attended to their current daily routines of school, work, and household chores, all of which was accomplished without distraction by assignments from Kritiker.

The youngest florist/assassin had regained his excellent grades quite easily thanks not only to having his surrogate family around him constantly but also to his boyfriend's ingenious efforts to outsmart Crawford's restriction of his use of Schwarz computers for contacting him. It turned out that there were more publicly accessible terminals at Nagi's school than he'd realized at first and by this point, the blue-eyed teens were exchanging messages almost daily. Omi was nervous about the upcoming winter school holidays when that access would be gone, but he tried not to worry about it too much, simply reminding himself to be grateful they had what they did since he was less distracted when he knew Nagi was doing all right. Of course, Bombay was also extremely glad that Weiss had been temporarily deactivated, it gave him so much more time to enjoy being with his "brothers" and creating colorful arrangements with flowers that made people happy and himself relaxed.

The elder blond had adjusted to the peaceful life of days working in the flowershop combined with quiet nights spent cooking for those he cared for more easily than even he had anticipated since the dietary restrictions Ken was facing were being shared by them all. There had been only a few tense moments so far that had left Yohji either in a cold shower or apologizing unnecessarily to his two partners for giving into the desperate need for a night of dancing simply for the physical exercise he wasn't getting otherwise. Even more doting on his first love than ever before, the jade-eyed man hung on Ken's every word and even the simplest vague wish for an item generally caused it to be provided if it wasn't contraindicated by the brunette's medical condition. 

Sadly, the deep-seated nicotine addiction that had flared to new heights only a month prior continued to burn brightly since it was so easy to slip outside for a smoke whenever he wanted one and Yohji was rapidly approaching a multiple-pack-per-day habit without thinking about it. Whether this would be dealt with or not remained to be seen, though, it just didn't seem important in the bigger scheme of things at the time. Each of the members of Weiss had his own way of coping with stress but only Balinese's was potentially cancer-inducing.

The only one of the four who was spending considerable time away from the Koneko for reasons that weren't required by law the way high school classes were, was the scarlet-haired swordsman. After seeing to it that Ken was adjusting well to life at home with routine trips to Kritiker Medical Center for dialysis and check-ups, Aya had found himself gravitating to the Magicbus Hospital more frequently than he had in the past. The silent girl he visited there showed no signs of improvement which shouldn't have been a surprise since her condition had been stable for over two long years already, yet it frustrated the violet-eyed man endlessly. 

The situation with Ken a mere month prior had been desperate yet everyone knew before he even entered surgery that it would be resolved quickly one way or another. Either death would foolishly try to claim him and be forced to face Yohji and Aya's wrath, or he would recover, the outcome which had occurred. For the insensate, dark-haired girl, however, there wouldn't be such a simple resolution and what might have been the answer to raising her back to awareness in one reality wouldn't be the one pertinent to this one since destiny had already shifted patterns dramatically. [1] 

Unfortunately, the concerns over the girl as well as his ongoing commitment to doing all that he could for the younger of his two lovers as Ken's improvements seemed to slow down after he left Tokyo General distracted Aya from a key omission on his part. 

Perhaps he thought it unimportant or maybe it was an honest mistake, but the scarlet-haired man never got around to verbalizing his feelings for the elder of his two lovers. Not willing to risk the happiness of the two men he cared for above all others, Yohji never said a word about it and even though Ken spent several hours under the slow and draining process of dialysis thinking it over, the brunette remained silent as well. The situation gradually became an unrecognized time bomb increasing in power as the days slipped past that would eventually explode in their faces. However, it would take Abyssinian being confronted with a monstrous side of his own personality that he'd never acknowledged before to force him to make his final choice between stating that he loved Yohji or losing what little respect he still held for himself as a man. [2] 

Last but never least in the hearts and minds of his friends, was the cast-laden nineteen year old who continued to depend on the cane to walk on the rare occasions he was allowed to go anywhere by himself. 

At first, Ken had been amazed at the level of constant care he was receiving from his lovers and teammate, but the novelty of being the center of attention at all times wore thin quickly. It had taken an almost knock-down, drag-out, verbal fight to convince Aya and Yohji that he could be allowed to go up and down the stairs alone, and on a late afternoon in mid-December he was in the kitchen of the Koneko making tea unattended for a change.

The brunette's brooding mental complaints about being overprotected and feeling stifled were quieted, however, as his gaze left the tea kettle that refused to boil for him and came to rest on his beloved rainbow-hued, hand-blown antique vase. Currently filled with an assortment of brightly colored chopsticks that they used for their daily meals, the Venetian glass looked exquisite and it reminded him not to be angry with the ones who loved him, they only meant well, and had no idea how badly they were driving him crazy.

Sighing heavily, the chocolate-eyed teen haphazardly measured enough loose Lemon Zinger tea into an attractive teapot that Omi had gotten for him through the Japanese edition of eBay to share with the two blondes on duty in the flowershop and noticed the water was almost boiling. They usually preferred coffee this late in the afternoon, but Ken's dietary restrictions included rather stringent limits on caffeine but they were out of decaff, something Aya had promised to fix by picking up some of the brunette's favorite blend at Starbucks the next day. In the meantime, he hoped the energetic herbal blend from Celestial Seasonings that Omi had found in the import section of the market would be a welcome change of pace for anyone who wanted to give it a try.

After the kettle whistled merrily and drew attention to itself, the former athlete poured plenty of hot water over the mixture in the pot and left it to steep as he went down to see if Omi or Yohji wanted to take a short break and come get a cup. He'd rather have simply carried them each a cup, but with one arm in a cast and the other using the cane, he simply couldn't manage the logistics of delivering hot drinks safely.

Carefully hobbling from the kitchen towards the flowershop, Ken reflected on the fact that his friend and lovers wouldn't have acted the way that they had lately if they didn't truly love him, something the former J-league player had found hard to believe at first. A welcome warmth built in his now badly scarred chest and he sighed as he forced himself to admit he actually rather liked all of the attention and concern even if it did seem overbearing at times.

All those around Ken were going to great deal of trouble to make him not only comfortable but also able to heal in what they hoped would be a stress-free environment for him. Even the fangirls had stopped pestering him directly after he told his tragic and completely false tale of unintentionally destroying a rented motorcycle trying to avoid hitting a child's missing pet on a busy thoroughfare. Instead, the legions of adoring fans who proclaimed him a hero for saving the nonexistent puppy had found a new way to show that they cared which was fine with the man who was struggling to reconcile the fact that he felt both loved and stifled at the same time.

*****

At the same time that Ken was working on making naturally decaffeinated tea for them, downstairs in the flowershop Omi faced a different set of challenges in the form of eager schoolgirls and a work partner who was outside having yet another cigarette while trying to avoid a headache.

"Does this one do well in partial sun, Omi-kun?" An unnamed female voice asked without intention of purchasing the plant in her cologne-scented hand which she hoped he might notice.

"Um," the cerulean-eyed teen bit his lip and said, "I'm not really sure. That's a new variety that we decided to try in our last order. I can look it up if you really want to buy it, though."

"I'd like a dozen of these," a certain well-to-do young woman who didn't have much patience insisted as she pushed a very expensive, Peruvian iris in his face, displacing the now embarrassed girl who quickly put the potted plant back on a shelf.

Startled, Omi stepped backwards and stammered, "Um, I-I-I'm sorry, Ouka-chan, but we've only got a half-dozen of those *and* they're for someone special, too." The warm, sudden blush that rose on his cheeks was endearing and the girl understandably took it all wrong.

"Oh? Is that so?" The imperious yet not intrinsically malicious girl commented thoughtfully before amending, "If that's the case, then I want an extra dozen and a half ordered for *next* week! I have someone 'special' that *I* want to impress, too, Omi-chan!" 

Her questionable use of the too-familiar honorific put the young blonde's nerves on end as he did the only thing he could at the time and jotted it on the requests list by the cash register in the back of the shop. The cerulean-eyed teen barely noticed that the chattering around him had unexpectedly died away after the chimes placed over the front door let him know there was a new customer in their midst.

Calling out a ritualized greeting and silently cursing the fact that he couldn't see past the girls in his way, Omi called out in his lilting alto, "Welcome to the Koneko no Sumu Ie! How may I assist you today?"

The dead silence ought to have alerted him that someone truly unusual had entered the shop, but since he'd missed the significance of the silence, Omi reiterated to his unseen customer, "Did you need help finding anything today?"

A shy, almost timid voice answered him saying, "Um, no, I think that I know *exactly* what I came here hoping to find."

Rapid thoughts speeding through his mind on wings like an angel's, Omi immediately recognized the familiar and much loved voice and shouted in pure delight, "NAGI?!? What are *you* doing here?!" Pushing his way heedlessly past the throng of girls, he rushed to the side of the one he adored whom he hadn't seen in three long weeks and pulled slender pale hands into his own heedless of their audience and exclaimed, "Wow! It's *great* to see you again!!" How he had the presence of mind not to include the affectionate nickname he'd used so often in the past was a mystery even to Omi, but it was an omission that spared them both some trouble.

More than happy to feel his boyfriend's hands around his own, the sable-haired boy gazed adoringly into the beautiful face of the one he loved and he agreed so quietly that only Omi heard him saying, "It's great to see you, too, koi. I have missed you so!" Wishing they could exchange a kiss but suddenly hyperaware of the large number of adolescent girls that were staring at them both, Nagi dropped his eyes nervously to gaze at where their hands came together and he simply smiled in contentment as a blush danced his cheeks, too. 

Barely able to remind himself he was indeed surrounded by an audience, Omi forced himself to give his beloved's hands another firm squeeze that promised more when they could be alone and then released them. Glancing past his partner's school uniform-clad shoulder and fearing a glimpse of either flame red or chalk white hair and not seeing either, he asked in confusion, "How did you work things out so you could come over here this afternoon, Nagi-kun? Aren't you still, um, what did you call it? Not being 'grounded' but 'being kept under surveillance'?"

Chuckling very quietly and keeping his tone fairly neutral, the telekinetic answered, "Well, I mentioned to Schu that I wanted to make a stop after school today and asked if that was okay or not since Crawford's been lightening up on my restrictions." The slight smirk on his elfin face indicated the actual interchange had been more colorful as he continued, "He didn't ask where I wanted to go or anything. He just winked at me and said not to skip dinner and be back before Brad gets in from playing bodyguard for Takatori at a cocktail party. I think as long as I'm back by nine or ten, it'll be okay." 

"Really?" Omi's eyes were wide and hopeful. He was about to ask Nagi any of a million questions he had after being physically separated for so long, but they were interrupted as one suspect they would be when surrounded by curious females.

"Oh my goodness," Ouka's voice shattered the peaceful quiet of the Koneko as she sidled up beside the two boys, gave Nagi a lingering gaze and then accused, "You are being very rude, Omi-kun! If this handsome young man is a friend of yours, you ought to introduce him to us!" She gave the sable-haired boy her best come-hither smile and brushed her bouncy bluish-black hair over her shoulder in an attempt to look fetching even as she waited impatiently to learn more about the interesting new bishounen in front of her.

Surprised by the sudden wash of mild jealousy he felt despite being well aware that his boyfriend wasn't interested in anyone but him much less a girl, Omi came to his senses and introduced Nagi to the group instead of just Ouka saying, "Everyone, this is my friend Nagi." Smiling at the almost frightened look in midnight blue eyes, he added, "He's kind of shy, so please don't be too pushy, all right?" The last few words of the sentence were directed at the violet-eyed girl who ignored them completely.

"That's a nice name," Ouka purred reaching out to place a hand on Nagi's arm and leaving it there despite the fact that the boy clearly didn't like being touched. With all the charm she could muster in the face of someone who seemed even more unattainable than Omi was, she remarked, "I don't recognize your school uniform, Nagi-kun. Are you by chance in college already?"

Blinking midnight eyes in shock at the girl's audacious behavior, the Schwarz psychic shook his head and answered politely, "No, I go to a private academy, miss." He then made a strategic error and asked, "Do you go to the same school as Omi-kun?"

By allowing himself to be drawn into conversation with even one of the females in the shop, Nagi had just opened the floodgates and he was suddenly inundated with questions and comments from the fangirls and the situation immediately spun out of control. It was all he could do to not use his telekinesis to push them aside and give himself some personal space. 

Realizing his boyfriend was in deep trouble, Omi tried several ploys to distract the girls and ended up surrounded by a small clot of clinging females that rendered him ineffectual at best as a rescuer for the embattled boy. 

Luckily, the backdoor opened a few minutes after the two blue-eyed teens were physically separated by the fangirls and a sensual, tobacco-roughened voice carried clearly over the soprano chatter, exclaiming in delight, "*Nagi*?! Is that really *you*, bishounen?!" Sauntering through the mass of females who were openly staring at his sexy outfit of skin-tight, midriff-baring crop-top over low slung black leather pants, Yohji approached the relieved looking telekinetic and enwrapped the boy in a bear-hug that forced the girls to back off. As he embraced the teen warmly, he asked in an extremely soft voice only Nagi could hear, "are you all right? you looked a little shell-shocked there for a second." 

Burrowing closer into the hug glad to be surrounded by the strength of a dear friend, Nagi whispered back in desperation, "i'll be okay, yohji-kun, but i really can't handle having them touching me so much! omi-koi was trying to help, but those girls are so persistent!"

Across the room, cerulean eyes were filled with delight and the archer was pleased that the eldest member of Weiss had succeeded where he himself had failed. Since none of the girls had any idea of the true nature of the relationships being displayed before them, none of them found it odd that he seemed unperturbed that his boyfriend was in another man's arms at the moment.

Deciding to take matters into his own hands even further, Yohji turned and while carefully keeping the sable-haired boy tucked under one arm protectively, he announced grandly, "Ladies, I will have you know that Nagi is already spoken for. So you might as well stop trying to think of ways to hint that you want to go on a date with him." Raising an eyebrow as he gazed at Ouka who was already considering that statement a challenge she would try to overcome, he added pointedly, "And since I am friends with the person he's involved with, I will see it as my chivalric duty to discourage anyone who thinks otherwise, understand?"

Pouting and clearly deterred only temporarily, Ouka spoke on behalf of all the girls present saying, "We only wanted to make him feel welcome, Yohji-kun! Besides, if he has a girlfriend already he could've just said so and that would've been fine with us!" Her smile turned a bit wicked and she added teasingly, "Unless of course you meant that you yourself are the person he's interested in, Yohji-kun. But if that's true, I must say he is the youngest looking 'eighteen year old' I've ever seen!" 

The girls tittered in amusement when she pointed this fact out since the lanky blonde's traditional excuse for not taking her and her friends seriously was that they weren't old enough for romance as far as he was concerned. 

Not hesitant or embarrassed, only slightly annoyed that they had to keep the relationship he shared with Aya and Ken a secret, Yohji smiled broadly and refused to rise to her accusation by commenting, "Nagi's age and who he cares for are none of your concern, Ouka. Now, who actually came in to see the flowers today, hmm?" Hoping to draw some of the attention away from the two boys who obviously wanted to speak together, he offered, "I was about to put together a few arrangements for a wedding, does anyone want to help?" 

Gasps of delight filled the air. The fangirls loved coming into the Koneko mostly to flirt with the four handsome men there and to get one of them cornered at the workbench was the best chance to stare for minutes on end at one of them who couldn't escape. Yohji knew this and despite disliking the idea of being so blatant about being a sacrificial lamb ordinarily he'd tolerate it for his two dear friends.

The former detective's ruse worked only moderately successfully, though. 

Even though most of the girls congregated towards the workbench offering to go and get whatever flowers Yohji wanted for his bouquets, Ouka and three of her closest henchgirls remained too close for comfort when Omi took Nagi over to see the lovely waterfall in the display window. Fighting the desire to reach out and hold his boyfriend's hand again and barely winning, the cerulean-eyed teen recounted the explanation for the sculpture that their audience had heard in the past and noted the tiny smile of wonder on Nagi's face with satisfaction.

Pointing at a small beautifully wrapped package that was tucked beside the black marble, Nagi asked innocently, "Is that for decoration, too, Omi-kun?" Gazing directly at the genki teen beside him and enjoying what he saw, he almost wished that the other boy would take his time answering just so he could keep looking at him that way.

Before Omi could answer, a timid girl who hadn't said anything much answered shyly, "Um, no, Nagi-san, that's from me." Surprisingly, she received encouraging smiles from both Omi and Ouka and she explained, "It isn't anything special, just a few pieces of candy and a get well charm I picked out for him at the shrine yesterday, but I hope he will like them anyway."

"I'm sure that he will, Kyoko-chan," Omi assured with a smile. [3] Then he turned and explained to his boyfriend, "Everyone's been really great towards Ken-kun since he came home, Nagi-kun, but he needs to rest. So, when the girls bring something for him or the kids from the neighborhood come by, we let them leave the gifts or cards here by his waterfall. If he can't come to get them himself we take them upstairs after the shop closes, but it's nice to see so many people care about him, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Nagi agreed then suddenly remembered something and blushed so lightly that only his boyfriend recognized it as he pulled a gift-wrapped package out of the backpack he'd forgotten he was wearing since he'd come straight from school. Holding the item in both hands, he asked shyly, "Should I put this there, too, then, Omi-kun?"

Cerulean eyes widened with surprise that Nagi had brought a present for their chocolate-eyed friend and he nodded then asked, "Um, why did you bring him a gift, Nagi-kun? Not that I don't think it's really super nice of you to do so, but…?" He left the question hanging and peered at his boyfriend in confusion.

After placing the package where it wouldn't get wet yet was easily accessible for whenever the recovering patient wished to retrieve it, Nagi answered with a sad sigh, "It was a month ago today that he had his, um, 'accident', Omi-kun. Perhaps it is wrong to commemorate an anniversary like that, but it was a very eventful day as I recall." 

The sable-haired boy's emotion-filled words brought a wealth of intense memories to the young blonde's mind. 

The same day which began with the horrific encounter that left Ken fighting for his life and saw the massacre of those who had dared to injure him had included many other dramatic changes as well. Even though some of the images were hazy since he'd been suffering from blood loss at the time, the Weiss archer recalled falling from a high bridge and being rescued dramatically by the one he loved, an action that could have had disastrous consequences for Nagi. Later that same day, they had held each other tight, resting in one another's reassuring warmth in a cold and frightening waiting room fearing for their friend's life. Eventually, things seemed to improve when it was announced that not only was Nagi not being rejected by Aya or Manx but that Ken had survived surgery, too. The end of the day when they had run through the rain to share a bed for the entire night for the first time in their lives was a chilly blur, they'd been too tired by then to truly appreciate the situation. 

To say it had been an "eventful day" was putting it far too mildly.

While he was briefly lost in remembrance, Omi accidentally forgot to answer Nagi's question and before he could intervene, Ouka had agitatedly alerted the fangirls that they had been neglectful of their duties to Ken and they needed to quickly obtain an anniversary gift of their own to offer him. This distracted not only the small cluster by the waterfall but those near Yohji's workbench as well and before long mayhem had broken loose as they frantically tried to come up with an idea that wasn't flowers since they'd done that already and they were redundant, too. 

Miserable as they endured the noise that was not unlike that of a flock of birds and wishing they could escape, Omi and Nagi glanced pleadingly at Yohji but the jade-eyed man shrugged helplessly truly regretting that he couldn't cope with the numerous flighty females *and* run the shop alone. All three assassins present were unhappy, but they didn't think there were any real options available to them at that point but happily they were wrong.

*****

To be concluded immediately!

Author's Notes:

[1] In case all of this seems like mumbo-jumbo to the readers who aren't familiar with the end of the first TV series I apologize and blame it on my insistence on *not* giving unnecessary spoilers in the bodies of my WK fics. However, since the final sentence of this paragraph may be unclear, allow me to remind you that Calliope, my muse of epics, disregards the vast majority of the series timeline anyway in the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity. Despite having no plans involving the "mysterious pig-tailed girl in the closing credits" at this point, I felt it was only safe to say that her reawakening in this reality would be absolutely nothing whatsoever like it was in the series if it happens at all. Hmm, I never did have a fondness for this particular character. I wonder if anyone would mind if I basically ignored her from here on in or not? Um, other than using her as an excuse for the scarlet-haired man to talk things over with himself, that is.

[2] In case you were wondering, *yes* this is yet another of the very strong "in context" warnings you have received for Book 3 of the continuity entitled "Scars". If you tend to cringe when one of the characters you love seem to go haywire for even a minute, you might want to avoid the sections of that one which I will try to warn you about ahead of time. If Melpomene is willing, I hope to write a detailed summary of the events that will take place in that story *after* it is done being posted sometime in the not too distant future to spare the understandably nervous among you. Heck, I intend to *write* what my angst muse dictates but even *I'm* scared of it at this point! Oh, and this is also where I need to mention that, obviously, it was never intended that Aya would say "I love you" to Yohji in this story or any of its side-stories or epilogues. After all, the guy is only barely able to cope with his emotions towards Ken right now and it would've been a huge leap for him to do the same towards Yohji in the same story and keep it realistic.

[3] In accordance with my desire to give credit to some of the creators of the anime we all love so much, I decided to include the manga artist who gave us some phenomenal character designs for the bishounen of Weiss and Schwarz. I'm not dead sure that Kyoko Tsuchiya is a single individual much less a woman, but I'll hope for the best and insert this character who may or may not reappear later. By the way, in the second volume of "An Assassin and White Shaman" there's an intriguing image in the color art section of Yohji pensively leaning against a window with a cigarette in his hand and Ken scowling unhappily behind him. Since this fits my theme of the jade-eyed man's ongoing self-destructive addiction so perfectly I hope to scan it for everyone if my unreliable Microtek scanner ever decides it wants to behave itself again.

Full Author's Notes to Run at Conclusion. 

Please be advised: Parts 60 - 62 will be posted together. 


	62. Sharing Gifts of Time, Friendship, and L...

Title: Cold November Rain [part 62/62] 

Book 1 of "Redirecting Destiny" and prequel to "Romantic Resolutions" 

Author: Enigma

Series: Weiss Kreuz

Written: January-April, 2002

Rating: R 

Pairings: (Yohji + Ken + Aya) (Omi + Nagi) (Brad + Schu)

Category: Dark! Yaoi Angst Action/Adventure Violence Blood Squick Language Romance Original Characters. AU-OOC. 

Archive: fanfiction.net [author: "E-sama the Llama"], Scripta Manent: http://digilander.iol.it/sakaba/Home.html 

Spoilers: None, safe for new viewers as well as old. 

Warnings: dark! yaoi, heavy angst, action/adventure, graphic violence, large quantities of blood, squick: medical and other, coarse language, agonized and overwrought romance, original characters designed to highlight the true stars, rare touches of sap, cigarettes, destiny, cruel cliffhangers. AU-OOC.

Disclaimer: "Weiss Kreuz" is the property of Takehito Koyasu and Project Weiss. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Calico, Norwegian, Korat, Sokoke, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: When Ken falls in battle, how can the other members of Weiss cope with the guilt and blame that they all seem to share and will he survive in spite of the odds against him? 

++ date and time reference within the storyline beginning with the day of the battle ++ 

{{telepathic speech}}

*****

++ day: 31. time: 1730-1815 hours. ++ 

***** 

Slowly descending the stairs and curious what all the noise was about since he couldn't decipher particular words, Ken approached the busy flowershop intending to offer his friends a chance to take a break and have some herb tea. 

At the same moment, coming up from the basement where he was trying to do the laundry as well as fill out some supply orders, Aya ascended the circular staircase with a look of venom in cold violet eyes. He, too, couldn't make out any particular words, but when Ouka's voice took on that particularly grating tone of command, he knew from experience that trouble was most likely afoot. 

Arriving at the ground floor at the same time, Aya blinked in shock when he saw the recovering patient approaching the bottom of the stairs in the small room behind the shop. Giving the chocolate-eyed teen's cheek a tender caress with fingertips that smelled of fabric softener, the violet-eyed man smiled gently and instructed him to wait so he could go clear out the rabble before Ken tried to go into the shop. 

With a soft laugh and a nod of agreement, the younger of the two of them leaned against the wall and listened as the swordsman moved into the Koneko proper and interrupted the teeming mass of agitated girls by bellowing, "If you aren't buying anything, get out!" Glaring with icy amethyst eyes, he threateningly scanned the crowd as usual yet did a double-take as he noted large midnight blue eyes peering at him from the most recent arrival. Blinking in surprise even as a few girls squeaked their dismay and headed for the door rather than face an enraged Aya, he added more quietly, "*Nagi*?! What are *you* doing here?" 

Pleased to see the scarlet-haired man he had become such good friends with recently, the sable-haired teen answered in partial truth, "I wanted to bring Ken-kun a gift, Aya-kun." Recalling the day he'd left Tokyo General and the invitation he'd received then which he was using now, he added nervously, "I hope that's all right."

An uncharacteristic smile tugged at the corners of Aya's lips as he answered sincerely, "It's more than 'all right', Nagi! As I said before, you are *always* welcome here." Noting the way the girls were still muttering something about gifts and needing to get one, he frowned again and then reached for his apron, saying, "Why don't you two take whatever you brought upstairs to him, Nagi, and I'll cover for Omi here in the shop."

"Really, Aya-kun? Are you sure?" Omi asked, amazed by the exceptionally rare offer that he would have bet against receiving. "But it's your first afternoon off all week!"

Ignoring the pleased smile of approval he was getting from Yohji who was impressed by the thoughtfulness the elder of his two lovers always showed around their diminutive telekinetic friend, Aya tied his light green apron in place and said firmly, "I'm absolutely certain, Omi. I think that Ken would enjoy seeing Nagi, too, and I dare say that I can handle Ouka's groupies myself. Besides, we'll be closing up at seven anyway, it won't be any trouble."

"Thank you very much, Aya-kun," Nagi said with a shy smile that brought a special warmth to the swordsman's heart. Then after reminding himself to not use his powers to simply carry it to him, the Schwarz psychic carefully retrieved the package from where he'd left it and then asked the timid girl who was too shy to ask, "Kyoko-chan? Would you like me to take yours to Ken-kun, too?"

Nodding and looking exceptionally grateful, she answered, "Oh, yes please, Nagi-san. That would be terribly kind of you even if it is such a small and unimportant gift."

Omi beamed at not only his boyfriend but at the self-effacing girl whose gentle sweetness and concern for his injured teammate was touching. As he slipped off his saffron-colored apron and got ready to hang it up before going upstairs, he told her, "I'm sure Ken-kun will love whatever you got for him, Kyoko-chan. I'll make sure he knows it was from you."

The startled schoolgirl blushed a little and shook her head, saying, "Oh, you don't have to do that, Omi-kun. As long as he enjoys it even a little bit, I'll be happy."

"Either way, I think it was nice of you," the blond teen smiled and then made sure Nagi was right beside him as they made their way to the backdoor of the shop and into the vestibule between the Koneko and the alley. They were a bit surprised to find Ken lounging against a wall by the stairs with his cane propped up nearby and he exclaimed quietly, "Ken-kun! I didn't know you were down here!"

Smiling at the pair, the brunette greeted them both a nod of his head and said, "Yeah, I was on my way down to see if you wanted some tea, Omi, but it would appear that you already had a much better surprise this afternoon." Offering his unencumbered hand in welcome, he added, "It's great to see you again, Nagi."

Gladly accepting the man's hand and shaking it before discovering he'd been tricked and was being drawn into a warm embrace by the older teen, Nagi smiled helplessly and hugged Ken in return before he agreed, "I'm really glad I got a chance to come here, Ken-kun." As he was released and the chocolate-eyed man reached for his cane so they could go back to the kitchen, he mentioned happily, "You're looking a whole lot better now than the last time I saw you. How do you feel?"

Shrugging slightly as all three of them slowly ascended the stairs together, Ken remarked honestly, "Pretty good all things considered, but I'm bored most of the time, Nagi." Hearing Omi's light chuckle he explained, "Yohji and Aya are being real bastards about never letting me have any fun anymore!"

"Ken-kun! That's not nice!" The blond chastised gently, "You know they only act that way because they love you and want you to heal properly!"

The brunette snorted derisively and remarked, "Yeah, I know, Omi, but I practically had to get a signed permission slip to come downstairs and then Aya wouldn't let me go in the flowershop until he'd had a chance to run the fangirls out of it!" With an appreciative chuckle he admitted defeat as he commented, "Then again, it sounded like Her Most Royal Majesty was on the warpath about something or other, so it's probably a good thing I didn't go in, huh?"

Giggling at his friend's almost too accurate nickname for the vivacious young woman who made their lives almost too complicated at times, Omi explained, "Yes, Ouka-chan was in rare form today, Ken-kun, but she meant well. She was kind of upset that it was the anniversary of your 'accident' and she and the fangirls didn't have a special gift for you."

Stepping into the warm and inviting kitchen that smelled of lemon and hibiscus, Ken frowned a little and sat at the table with a pensive expression on his face while Omi went about arranging the tea service and bringing it over. 

Wishing he knew how to help but deciding it was best to stay out of the way for a moment, Nagi slipped into a chair across from the quiet older teen and apologized, "I'm afraid that was my fault, Ken-kun. I brought you something and when Omi asked about it, I mentioned that it had been a month since you were hurt and everything. I didn't have any idea those girls would get all worked up over it."

With a slightly sardonic smile on his face as he watched his youngest teammate expertly pouring tea for each of them, Ken shook his head and said, "No apology necessary, Nagi. I'd forgotten about it myself, but yeah, I guess it has been a month at that. Doesn't seem like it, though, does it?" He glanced at the bulky cast on his arm and recalled some of the hell that the five of them had gone through in the aftermath of the shooting and felt infinitely grateful to have such dedicated friends and lovers. Then he glanced up with a brighter smile and asked, "So? What did you bring me? I hope it's something spicy to eat! The 'food nazis' around here won't let me have anything good yet even though Javanese told me my kidney function is past 60% already and it ought to be okay now."

With another warning frown since Omi didn't like the nicknames Ken came up with for himself and their teammates, the blond explained to his boyfriend, "Norwegian hasn't changed the dietary limits for Ken-kun yet, Nagi-love, and he's obviously not enjoying all of Yohji-kun's hard work in the kitchen!" He childishly added a stuck-out tongue to his remarks to indicate he thought it was a silly thing to be upset about and made them all smile.

Feeling better and recalling he had the girl's gift to offer as well, Nagi shook his head and said, "I'm very sorry, Ken-kun, but I didn't bring anything to eat. I think that Kyoko-chan might have, though, so why not open hers first?" Holding the small, delicately wrapped gift in both hands in offering, he smiled when Ken reached for the gift with open curiosity.

"Kyoko-chan got me something?" Chocolate eyes widened slightly in surprise and then he smiled and commented, "That's really sweet of her. I always enjoy having her little brother on the soccer team, I guess this is a way to say 'thanks'?" He opened the gift carefully, allowing the small charm to slip out into the palm of his hand and he looked pleased by the traditional Shinto wish for health written in gold on red paper which he set aside in search of the possible food inside. 

As Ken was busy discovering that the box contained treats made from sweetbean paste that he had a weakness for, Omi nodded and smiled encouragingly at his boyfriend who nervously held his cup of Lemon Zinger to his nose and sniffed at the unfamiliar scent. Glad that Nagi was at least taking a sip of the unusual concoction, he agreed, "Yes, that's probably it, Ken-kun." Noticing his boyfriend didn't look thrilled with the taste of his drink after he sipped it, he added, "You might like that better with sugar in it the way that I do, Nagi-love."

Uncertain midnight blue eyes rose and the youngest teen present answered, "If you say so, koi." While exerting his psychic gifts and dropping a cube of sugar into his cup then stirring it with his powers without thinking about it, Nagi held his own gift in both hands and offered it to Ken who was gaping at the casual demonstration of telekinesis. Nervous that perhaps the older teen thought he was just showing off, the sable-haired boy asked, "Um, Ken-kun? Am I making you uncomfortable? I can stop, of course, if this is bothering you."

Blinking his eyes and drawing himself out of his thoughts, the former athlete suddenly smirked and reached for the gift even as he explained, "No, that's not it at all, Nagi. I was just thinking that you must be able to avoid washing a lot of spoons that way." 

Omi groaned softly, shook his head and then said, "Oh, Ken-kun. You never fail to surprise me!" Giving in to the desire to giggle outright, he did so and added, "Only *you* would come up with something like that!"

Smiling at the two boys as he started to open the present Nagi had brought him, the brunette answered nonchalantly, "Hey, what can I say? It's a gift. But speaking of gifts, where in the world did you come up with this, Nagi?!" Once he'd realized what was inside the package, Ken had carefully torn the wrapping away in excitement and held aloft something he would've assumed he would never have the privilege of seeing much less owning.

Atypically clueless, Omi gazed at what seemed to be nothing more unusual than a somewhat old and slightly faded doujinshi that someone had written on and then glanced from his boyfriend to his teammate and found no answers until Nagi began to blush while looking infinitely pleased. Frustrated by his ignorance, the seventeen year old asked, "I think Nagi-love is glad you like that, Ken-kun, but what *is* it?"

Face filled with a pure delight much like a child's would be to discover he really did get the one thing he wanted most for his birthday, Ken beamed brightly as he explained, "It's a first edition, *signed* copy of Ozaki-sensei's very first doujinshi, Omi!" Seeing a lack of understanding, he added almost urgently, "She's the creator of the manga 'Bronze: Zetsuai since 1989' which you brought me in the hospital! This is so unbelievably rare, though, how did you get it, Nagi?!"

Alabaster cheeks painted a soft happy pink, the fifteen year old said, "After Omi-koi showed me that manga he got for you, I remembered seeing something by the same artist in the window of a collector's shop near my school. I skipped lunch one day and went over to see how expensive it was and it turned out that the owner was willing to negotiate for it. I worked out a deal with her and picked it up this afternoon." Watching the play of emotions on the older teen's face, he added, "I'm really glad that you like it, Ken-kun. The lady at the shop said it was a one of a kind and that she herself had gotten it signed at a convention years ago."

"You think I just 'like it'? No, I *love* it, Nagi!" Ken enthused, gazing at the signature on the cover happily. "As for this being rare, hell, the last time I saw anything even close to this it was up for auction at a price that *I* couldn't hope to cover even if I wanted to! Man, this is *great*!" He came dangerously close to asking about what exactly Nagi had spent or traded for it, but since that would be the height of rudeness, he suppressed the urge and simply went back to beaming at the wonderful new addition to his collection.

Another face at the table was also smiling brightly, however. When Omi reached out to capture Nagi's hand in his own--something that had waited until now so that the younger teen's gift could be offered properly--he did so with a heartbreakingly sweet expression on his face. 

Pleased he'd been able to bring so many smiles to these wonderful young men who he had missed desperately, Nagi enjoyed holding hands with Omi and sipping the herbal tea that tasted a lot better with sugar in it. His life in the last three weeks had been filled with massive amounts of schoolwork as well as a substantial amount of time being spent trying to regain his leader's trust in him. Preparing miscellaneous documents for Crawford as well as rearranging the man's computer files had been distracting to a certain extent, but the hole left in his heart by nights spent alone without so much as the comfort of chatting electronically with his boyfriend had ached. Now, though, the reassuring warmth of skin-to-skin contact with Omi gave Nagi an almost euphoric sense of happiness.

If absence made the heart grow fonder the reunion of temporarily separated lovers made the heart grow bolder and as Ken was distracted with nibbling on some of the candy Kyoko had given him, Nagi leaned over and gave Omi a quick kiss after barely being able to wait. 

Blushing prettily and eager for more, the cerulean-eyed teen ignored his teammate entirely and reached up to cup an alabaster cheek in one hand even as his lips sought and captured those of the midnight-eyed boy. Sighing softly in pleasure as the telekinetic responded positively to the somewhat longer yet no more intimate kiss, Omi felt as if he was floating on a cloud of joy.

Lost in his own enjoyment, the chocolate-eyed teen finished off the treat he'd enjoyed immensely and was about to offer the boys seated at the kitchen table with him a piece of candy to go with their tea when he realized they were occupied. The desire to proclaim them "too kawaii for words" was barely suppressed as Ken glanced away from the young lovers whose eyes were half-closed as they wordlessly pledged their hearts to one another once more.

With a soft chuckle that brought the other two teens out of their momentary romantic reverie, the brunette carefully picked up his cup and drained the last of the warm, fruity beverage and then announced, "I think that I'll go down to the shop and check on Yohji and Aya." He rose carefully from the table, cane in hand as he added, "From the sounds of things, Ouka's gang has gone off to terrorize some other poor shopkeepers elsewhere."

Slightly flushed from their kiss, Omi peered up at his friend and asked worriedly, "But, Ken-kun, won't Aya-kun and Yohji-kun be upset with you if you go up and down the stairs again? I thought they said one trip to the Koneko a day was all you were supposed to make."

Snorting in annoyance and rolling soulful brown eyes expressively, Ken answered, "Well, *technically* I never made it in there in the first place, Omi, but I think their rules are a bit overprotective anyway." Moving cautiously since the wound in his thigh was throbbing ever so slightly and not wanting to aggravate it, he moved towards the stairs slowly before adding warmly, "Besides, I think you two need a little privacy to get, um, 'reacquainted'?" His smirk was sweet yet carried a hint of the hentai despite stopping short of recommending they adjourn to Omi's bedroom for an activity he rightly assumed they'd not enjoyed in far too long.

Blushing yet not denying anything spoken or implied by his friend, the Weiss archer called out, "Thanks, Ken-kun! Nagi-love said he can stay for awhile longer, so if Aya-kun and Yohji-kun wouldn't mind maybe we can have some dinner delivered while he's here? Please?"

Since he remained concerned about the telekinetic's nutritional needs and thought that sharing a meal with him might be an opportunity to see how he was doing, Ken nodded and smiled as he agreed, saying, "That sounds like a great idea to me, Omi! I'm sure they'll like it, too, so plan on eating around 7:30 or 8:00, okay, guys?"

"That would be very nice, Ken-kun," Nagi said with a shy smile as he looked forward to what all three of them were now clearly thinking would be his pre-dinner activity with his boyfriend. 

The cerulean-eyed teen's already genki smile brightened ever so slightly as he watched his brunette friend making his way cautiously to the stairs and disappearing down them. Mischief bubbling in his voice, he turned to his boyfriend and asked, "Want to come to my room and see my newest computer games, love?"

Nagi couldn't help but laugh as he stood and held his hand out to his boyfriend by way of encouraging him to hurry so they could make the most of their time together. Then he asked with gentle teasing, "Why does that sound like a line from one of those tawdry romance novels the girls at my school are always reading, koi?"

Rising and kissing the slightly shorter teen on the cheek, Omi giggled slightly and shrugged, "You're right, that *does* sound like one of those 'why not come up and see my etchings sometime' lines!" His incredible happiness as he noted that his beloved partner's skin tone was warmer and healthier now doubled as he forwent the proffered hand and chose to wrap his arm around his lover, drawing him close and discovering the diminutive telekinetic felt less slender in his arms than before. Realizing it was about to be all too easy not to mention enjoyable to discover directly if that was true, he added urgently, "I don't really care *what* it sounds like as long as you say 'yes', Nagi-love! I just want to be alone with you."

Sighing happily and snuggling closer for a moment then pulling away and practically yanking Omi towards the stairs, the sable-haired teen beamed delightedly and agreed wholeheartedly, "Same here, Omi-koi!" Glancing at the kitchen clock as they headed out of the room he added teasingly, "And it would seem we have at least an hour or more available to, um, uh, 'play' some of those 'games' if you want to, too!"

Desire sparkling in cerulean eyes, the youngest member of Weiss almost growled his excitement and then redoubled his efforts resulting in them nearly running up the stairs together hand in hand and hearts singing with joy.

After Ouka's group had trooped off to her mother's restaurant to get dinner for the five assassins as per a suggestion from Yohji regarding a good gift for Ken, the Koneko settled back into peaceful tranquility and the musical sounds of the waterfall filled the air. 

Upon hearing the sound of two sets of feet dashing up the stairs noisily, three sets of eyes gazed at each other in understanding and approval. Then the Weiss trio wordlessly shared their own adoration for one another with discrete caresses as the two able-bodied florist/assassins went about their tasks of straightening displays and watering flowers yet found abundant excuses to stop by the teen sitting by lyrical marble sculpture. 

As the pleasant December afternoon gave way to a relatively warm winter evening, the city of Tokyo went about its business unaware of the tragedies and triumphs shared by a group of unique individuals who quietly celebrated the one month anniversary of an event that changed their lives forever. There were many challenges ahead for many whose lives were touched by the impact of those five bullets fired in anger but now that the cold November rain had passed, there was a time for the peace and joy which they all so richly deserved. 

~OWARI~

Author's Notes:

[1] Each posting run of this exceptionally large story was dedicated to various people that I wanted to either thank or celebrate as the fic became public. However, in the end, there is always one ultimate dedication for the entire work as a single entity and this time it goes to someone very special, the person who "turned me on" to the addictive world of Weiss, my brother Rubious. {smiles brightly and sends up a skyrocket filled with fireworks that explode in bright colors before he continues} Long ago and far away, I began another WK Angst Epic entitled "Neutral Territory" which was to be dedicated to him and even though there are a full *18* Parts plus a highly detailed outline for the rest of it on my computer it will remain there slumbering like a literary version of Rip Van Winkle. Instead, Melpomene and Calliope chose this continuity to focus on and so, to be fair, the first truly momentous work within it shall go to him as a replacement for that sleeping time-bomb of a fic that may never see the light of day at this rate. In the meantime, I hope he knows how very grateful I am that he sent me the entire series on fansubs which sparked a wildfire of fic inspiration within me. Since then he has provided me with the OVAs and a gift subscription to the entire DVD collection thereby almost assuredly guaranteeing the WK fanfiction community more llama fics for the foreseeable future. Thanks again, dude, for everything! You're the best and as far as your own fanfiction writing goes, Ganbatte, guy!

[2] As specified in the indicia, this story was initially to be a mere prequel to the events in "Romantic Resolutions" yet it is in actuality much, *much* more than that! I had only intended to tell a Ken-torture tale based on the *two* paragraphs that mentioned why Yohji and Aya were taking such great care of him in the New Years story, but this one developed quite a life of its own as it were. Buried within it are any number of pet theories and new versions of old relationships many of which will hopefully be explored further in the fics described below and others yet to be envisioned.

[3] Book 2 of the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity is indeed "Romantic Resolutions" which will be revised soon to reflect the changes in relationships and the timeline as they are expressed in this fic. How dramatic the revisions will be remains to be seen, Erato liked what she had there already but Melpomene and Calliope both realize it needs changes to keep it consistent with that which precedes and follows it. Please note that there will most likely be a slight delay in getting this accomplished since I feel an overwhelming need to return to my GW roots and provide them with some llama-fiction after my silence of four months. 

[4] All-new installments in this continuity will begin with side-stories to this piece as well as the epilogues mentioned below as time allows. 

[4-a] Currently planned to be one of the first side-stories to be written is "Ken's Dream" a wonderfully angst-free threeway lemon for Ken, Yohji, and Aya as based on the opening paragraph of Part 38. Since it's a pure fantasy Ken POV dream sequence and therefore not subject to limitations due to injuries or other "reality based issues", this will be particularly plotless and undoubtedly highly sweet to the point of inducing cavities, but it should be a nice break. 

[4-b] Other side-stories on the schedule include "Crawford's Dilemma" based on his conversation with the newly returned Prodigy in Part 51 and "A Brother's Sorrow" which will be a look at Korat's ongoing search for Monique. 

[4-c] I'm very interested in hearing requests for other stories based on this especially epilogues to help tie up loose ends and even though I can't write all of them, I hope you will share your thoughts with me about them. 

[4-d] Please note that the side-stories will have their own specific ratings and therefore separate titles at fanfiction.net whereas any epilogues which conform to the original indicia will merely be added as new Parts to the main fic there. How these issues will be handled at other archives remains to be seen and is primarily the right and privilege of the archivists to chose.

[5] Book 3 of the "Redirecting Destiny" continuity will be "Scars" an angst-ridden heavy lemon interlude for the Weiss trio as Abyssinian loses control at the wrong moment and inadvertently injures one of those he loves. Can he learn from his terrible mistake and possibly say the words he has been unable to say and thereby save what he has nearly destroyed or will it be too late? There are other books planned for the continuity which will be previewed in the stories which precede them more closely than this one.

[6] Regarding the relationships in Schwarz: I've gone quite far afield compared to many people's versions of these four bishounen, yet I *can* see this work *if* one assumes the following non-canon descriptions can possibly be true: (a) Crawford isn't a heartless bastard. (b) Schuldich isn't a slut. (c) Farfarello isn't a mindless psychopath 24/7. Plus the most crucial one of all: (d) Nagi *isn't* devoid of emotions. Based on reader response so far, though, apparently many folks accept and embrace these possibilities and I intend to explore these four more fully in "Power Failure" later in the continuity as well as providing Brad and Schu a moment's peace in a lemony interlude later, too.

[7] Who the heck *are* those original characters supposed to be and where did they come from?!? As indicated when they were first bought into the story, the medical team is comprised of characters named for the original anime series creative team as listed on the ADV release "Dead Ringers" Vol. 1. DVD of the--cough--"Knight Hunters". Calico and the yet-to-be-introduced members of Grün are the product of my twisted imagination alone and are based on no one living, dead, or animated. Angora and the members of Gelb will remain a mystery for now since the extent of their use remains to be determined. The incidental characters are based on various people including my family, friends, and anime characters that I love. I appreciate the warm welcome these "invented beings" have received and I feel grateful that the fans enjoying this are open-minded enough to allow me to spend some of their valuable reading time expanding on what might otherwise have been flat people without histories. Breathing life into new characters so thoroughly that you hate a writer when one dies is one of my greatest challenges and joys and I thank you for being tolerant of my indulgences. I also thank you for the many letters of sorrow I received after Sokoke's untimely demise, she will be missed yet will also remain an active source of angst for months to come.

[8] Regarding the infinitely wonderful people who read and review at fanfiction.net as well as those who send me comments directly, all I can say is this: I LOVE THEM!! 

[8-a] There is no conceivable way that I could have gotten as far as I did on this as quickly as I did without the outpouring of love and support that I received from my readers. As this final posting run goes out, there's already an incomprehensible 472 reviews publicly available for all the world to read and enjoy at fanfiction.net which have provided me with more inspiration than words can say! As for the number of private notes of encouragement that I've received, I can't begin to guess, yet each and every one of them has been read and enjoyed thereby raising me and my muses up during dark moments so that we could continue to strive to entertain the readers. 

[8-b] If people wanted to know what one thing they could do to make sure that they had more of what they enjoy most in fanfiction it is this: Send out positive reviews to those authors you prefer. Do it early and do it often! If it's a chapter fic then consider sending comments on each new part, you'll make a friend for life of the writer and friends-by-extension of the other readers who feel the same way you do and want to see more of a well written story. The more words of praise you send, the more likely the writers will be to send you back words of action, adventure, angst, romance, or whatever genre makes you happiest. And if you wonder about the perqs involved in getting even more personal and sending notes *and* reviews at fanfiction.net, ask the lovely ladies who suggested the three side-stories that are already planned. 

[9] Muse Credit Union:Melpomene, my angst muse, works diligently to bring sorrow and pain to any number of unsuspecting bishounen and this is her first work of 2002. Erato, is my sap, lemon, and romance muse and she wanted to do more here than she did, but it was just too intense for the most part. Thalia, my humor muse, failed to participate fully due to Real Life angst being too overwhelming for her to add much. Calliope, my muse of all things of epic proportions, claims credit for this being so long as well as the numerous side-stories, epilogues, and new Books yet to come. Considering this fic is currently over 1,200KB and will be growing with the addition of side-stories and epilogues, I dare say Calliope has reason to be proud of herself, don't you? My newest muse, Lauren, muse of warning flags, is hereby given her first public recognition for helping me to remember that sometimes people need to have a box of tissues handy when they read some of my things. 

[10] There are a lot of very nice people who receive roughly bimonthly updates from me as to what is new at fanfiction.net, GW Addiction, and other authorized archives for Llama-fics. With luck and help from my muses, I hope to have some serious changes there in May, 2002, adding polling for various questions pertaining to how readers want to see certain things go in my stories, artwork and images in the files section and much more! Here's hoping it turns out half as fun as I think it might be and I hope to see you there, too! If you wish to join, please feel free to sign up at EnigmaFanficUpdates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com!

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Ta-da! "Cold November Rain" is now over! Ta-da!

{falls over almost dead and lays there twitching for a moment then adds a tiny end-note}

This took me almost ten hours straight to finish up today after spending most of yesterday with a migraine from lack of sleep and unable to type but you know what? I'm happy right now. Yes, I know, I'm most likely simply delusional after working too much on fanfiction for which there is no pay, but I really do feel almost genki in a I'm-totally-exhausted,-I think-I-need-a-stiff-drink-and-a-high-quality-threeway-lemon-yaoi-fic-to-stay-alive kind of way but at least it's an honest high. 

{yawns hugely, feels even more worn-out, then waves good-bye for the moment}

Thanks again for reading my humble piece of fanfiction all the way through and if you see a need for an epilogue or a side-story that isn't already planned, let me know, okay? No promises on how many I can cobble together, but at least you'll plant a seed of an idea that may take root later, ne?

Ciao for Now!

~~~E-sama the Llama~~~

(who loves his readers and couldn't bear to make them wait for all this just so he could go sleep or watch anime or something! no sirree! when there's an epic to be finished, who ya gonna call? angst-busters! {eeps comically, recalls that was the intro concept for Norwegian's team way back in Part 27 and realizes with a totally depleted smirk that it is *never* that simple! then the llama fades away until there's more to share someday})

Posted 27 April 2002 ~6:00am


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